Annu Saree

Our shop is right near the Bhairon Mandir in Jogiwara. If you know Nai Sarak, you know how crowded it gets with all the rickshaws and people carrying big bags. We are at Shop No. 4288-89, which isn't huge, but we managed to fit a lot of sarees in there. Every morning we open the shutters and sweep the front before the crowd starts building up. The temple bells ringing nearby is a sound we hear all day long. Sometimes people stop in just to escape the sun for a minute. We have piles of silk and cotton stacked up to the ceiling almost. It takes a lot of work to keep everything folded properly after a busy afternoon. My brother handles the billing while I talk to the ladies about what they want for weddings or festivals. We don't have air conditioning, just a few old fans that creak a bit. It’s an old building, so the stairs are narrow and the walls are thick. You have to watch your step when you come in. We’ve seen the market change a lot over the years, but we are still here doing the same thing. No big advertisements or anything, just the sign above the door and word of mouth from the neighbors. We stay late most nights making sure the inventory matches the books. It’s just how we run things in this part of Delhi.