Maharaja Spices

Our little spot, Shop No. 211B, is right in the middle of the Vegetable Market near the Clock Tower. If you know this area, you know how loud it gets early in the morning when the trucks arrive. Maharaja Spices is basically tucked away between other vendors, so there is always a lot of shouting and haggling going on right outside our door. The Clock Tower gives us a good sense of time, though we usually don't need it because our hunger tells us when it is lunch. We have been here long enough that we know most of the other shopkeepers by name. The floor is concrete and stays cool even when the sun is hitting the market roof. We keep our spices in big jars and sacks, and there is barely enough room to move when a new shipment comes in. You have to watch your step around here. Sometimes the rain leaks a bit near the front entrance, so we keep some old tarps handy. It is a bit of a squeeze inside 211B, but we manage. We spend the day weighing out small portions or filling bigger orders for the local restaurants. It is honest work, and we like being part of the market chaos. By the time we close up, our clothes usually smell like cumin and cardamom, which our families have gotten used to over the years. We just keep things moving and try to stay organized.