Shiv Bag Co.

Indira Bazar is a crowded place, and we are right at number 65. Shiv Bag Co. has been sitting in this same spot for quite a few years now. The shop isn't very wide, so we have to hang the bags from the ceiling and stack them along the walls. It makes the place feel even smaller than it is, but it's the only way to show what we have. Most mornings we spend time dusting everything off because the street gets so much dust from the traffic. You can hear the scooters and the shouting from the market all day long. Sometimes we sit on the little stools out front when there aren't any customers. We aren't doing anything special or fancy. We just sell bags. School bags, travel bags, those small pouches people like. It’s a bit messy behind the counter with all the plastic wrapping and the old ledger books we still use. The fan on the ceiling makes a clicking noise that we’ve just gotten used to over time. When the monsoon hits, we have to move everything back from the entrance so the rain doesn't ruin the zippers or the fabric. My cousin helps me out most days. We don't have a website or anything like that. People just walk in from Indira Bazar because they saw a bag they liked in the window. It’s a simple way to spend the day for us.