Anand Kumar Agarwal

I started out here on New Sanganer Road near Swarn Path because it seemed like a good, solid neighborhood. The shop isn't huge, but it fits what I need for the daily grind. Usually, I open up early before the sun gets too high because the heat on Swarn Path can be quite something by midday. I’ve got some old chairs for when neighbors drop by to chat, which happens more often than you’d think. People around here are friendly enough, and we all know each other's faces by now. My shelves are filled with things I’ve picked up over the months, and I try to keep it all tidy, though the dust from the road makes that a bit of a losing battle sometimes. I do my own books and handle the orders myself because I like knowing what's going on with every single item. It’s just me and maybe a helper now and then when things get really hectic during the festival seasons. I don’t have any big corporate plans or anything like that. I just want to keep the doors open and do a fair day's work. Sometimes I stay late just to enjoy the quiet when the traffic dies down. It’s nice to just sit there with a fan on and look at what I’ve built up over the years. It’s not perfect, but it’s mine. I usually close up when the streetlights come on.