Yogi Bartan Bhandar

Down in the Main Market of Virat Nagar, that’s where Yogi Bartan Bhandar is. It’s not a large shop, but we pack a lot into it. I deal mostly in kitchenware—buckets, plates, tiffins, and those big pots for boiling water. The shop is quite narrow, so you have to be careful not to knock anything over with your elbows. I’ve got some old wooden shelves that groan under the weight of the heavy steel. The floor is just plain concrete and it gets quite cold in the winter. I usually wear a sweater and keep a thermos of tea nearby. People from the villages around Virat Nagar come in during the market days. They look for things that are strong and won’t break easily. I don't bother with fancy designs; I just sell what works. I spend my afternoons checking for any dents in the new stock that arrived. Sometimes the kids from the street come in and poke at the shiny plates, and I have to shoo them away so they don’t leave fingerprints. It’s a lot of lifting and moving heavy crates, which makes my back ache sometimes. But it’s my livelihood. I’ve been in this market for years, and I’ve seen stores come and go, but people always need a good pot to cook their rice in. I just keep the door open and wait for whoever needs a replacement for their kitchen. It’s simple work, but it keeps the food cooking.