Shingar

Our shop is tucked inside Apna Bazar on Gurudwara Road, occupying units 114, 213, and 214. It’s a bit of a maze in here sometimes, and we’re constantly moving between the different sections. Being right opposite Civil Line is helpful because people use that as a landmark to find us. The market is always buzzing with activity from the moment the shutters go up in the morning. We spend a lot of our time tidying up the shelves because things tend to get messy when people are looking through the stock. The lighting in Apna Bazar isn't the best, so we’ve added a few of our own lamps to brighten things up a bit. There’s a particular way the afternoon light hits the front of the building, and that’s usually when we take our tea break. We’ve got a small stool behind the counter that everyone fights over because it’s the most comfortable one. We aren't trying to be anything fancy; we just provide a place where people can come and find what they need. The floors are a bit worn out from all the foot traffic over the years, but it gives the place some character. We know the regular customers by name, and we usually end up chatting about their families more than the actual business. It’s just a normal day-to-day existence in a busy community market, and we are quite used to the noise and the crowds.