Aggarwal Sweets

Down here in Dayal Bagh Market on Link Road at shop number 10, things get moving pretty early in the morning. We have to get the milk and sugar ready long before the sun is actually up. Link Road starts getting busy around eight, and by then, we usually have the first few trays of sweets out. It’s a small spot, so it gets crowded fast, especially when people are stopping on their way to work. You know how it is in these markets, everyone knows everyone. I’ve seen kids grow up and start coming here with their own children. We don’t spend money on fancy signs or anything like that. The floors are a bit old and the walls could probably use some paint, but the kitchen is where we spend all our time. Aggarwal Sweets has been a part of this corner for years. We just do what we know. Sometimes we run out of things by the afternoon if it’s a festival day, and then it’s a mad rush to make more. It’s tiring work, standing on your feet all day near the big kadhais, but it’s what my family has always done. People come in for a quick bite or to pack something for a guest. We don’t try to be anything we aren’t. It’s just a sweet shop in a busy market where you can get something honest and go about your day. I think we’ll probably be here for another twenty years if the neighbors keep coming in for their morning snacks and afternoon tea.