Ramesh Bartan Bhandar

Our shop is right in the middle of the chaos at Sanjay Bazar, stalls 52 and 53. If you come by, you’ll hear the clinking of stainless steel before you even see us. We have pots, pans, and plates stacked from the floor to the ceiling. It’s a bit of a maze inside. I have to be careful not to knock anything over when I’m reaching for a specific size of cooker. People come here looking for stuff for their kitchens, and they usually want to touch everything to see if it’s heavy enough. The market is always crowded, so there’s a lot of shouting and bells from bicycles outside. I’ve been sitting on this same wooden bench for years. The edges are worn smooth. We don't have any fancy displays. We just put the stuff out where people can see it. Sometimes a stack of bowls falls over and makes a huge racket, and we all just laugh because it happens all the time. My hands always smell a bit like metal. We spend a lot of time polishing the brass items so they don't look dull. It’s a small shop but we carry a lot of stock. People know they can find whatever kitchen tool they need here. It’s just a regular market shop, nothing more and nothing less. I usually close up when the sun goes down and the market starts to quiet. That's about it.