Vijay Pan Shop

Down here in Rohini Sector 4, things are a bit more relaxed than the main city center. We are at B-8/30. It’s a small neighborhood shop. I open up around noon because people don’t really want pan in the morning hours. I spend the first hour just cleaning the glass and arranging the cigarette packs and the candy jars so everything looks alright. My father started this place, and I’ve been taking care of it for the last ten years or so. It’s not a place where you’ll find anything fancy or modern. Just the basics that people need. I have a small stool I sit on when there are no customers around. I see the same neighbors every day. We talk about the weather or how the prices of everything are going up lately. I like the afternoon time when it’s hot and quiet outside. The leaves stay fresh in the wet cloth I keep them in. I have to be very careful about that, or they turn yellow and bitter and I have to throw them out. It’s a simple job, really. I don't have to worry about big meetings or using computers. I just manage my stock and talk to the people who stop by for a minute. Sometimes kids come in for a chocolate or a cold drink from the small fridge. It’s just a regular part of life on the block here.