Lalit Kumar Tiwari

Being in Chandni Chowk means you are always in the middle of everything. I am Lalit Kumar Tiwari and my place is in Gali Pipal Wali, which is part of Kinari Bazar. The house number is 2595. If you know this area, you know how narrow the lanes are. It is always crowded with shoppers and laborers carrying big loads on their backs. My shop is tucked away in the lane. It has been there for years. The walls are thick and it stays a bit cooler inside even when it is very hot outside. I sell things that people in the bazar need. I don’t use any fancy systems. I have a big ledger book where I write things down. Sometimes the tea seller comes by and we have a quick cup while looking at the crowd. Kinari Bazar is famous for weddings and decorations, so there is always a lot of color around. It is a hard place to work sometimes because of the congestion, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Gali Pipal Wali has a lot of history. My family has been around this part of Delhi for a long time. We know the other shopkeepers well. We help each other out if someone is short on change or needs a hand with a heavy box. It is a small community inside a very big city. It is loud and dusty but it is home for my work.