Didaram Murlidhar Sarraf

If you walk down Johari Bazar and turn into Haldiyon Ka Rasta, you’ll eventually find us at number 166. It’s a very old part of the city, and the lanes are so narrow that you can barely fit a bike through some spots. Didaram Murlidhar Sarraf has been part of this neighborhood for a very long time. The building itself has high ceilings and those old-style wooden doors that have seen better days. Inside, it’s mostly just us sitting with our ledgers and talking to people who drop by. It’s a traditional way of doing things, I suppose. We don't really go for the modern look because this is what our regulars expect. The smell of the market, the spices, and the crowd is always there right outside the doorstep. We keep our records carefully, mostly by hand, though we have a computer now for some of the basic stuff. It’s always a bit dark inside the shop because the sunlight doesn’t reach down into these lanes very well. We have a small safe in the back and some old benches for people to sit on while we talk. Most of our neighbors have been here for generations too, so we all know each other. It’s a busy life, especially during the festival seasons when the whole of Johari Bazar gets packed with people from morning until late at night.