Mayer Ashirbad

You can find Mayer Ashirbad right on the Durganagar Station Road in the Rabindra Nagar area of Kolkata. Being so close to the station means we hear the trains going by all day long. It's a constant sound that we don't even notice anymore. Many people who work in the city stop by our shop on their way home from the platform. We keep a variety of general items and provisions that a family might need for the house. The name of the shop is important to us, but the daily work is just about keeping the place clean and the stock fresh. Kolkata weather is often rainy or very hot, so we spend a lot of time making sure things don't get damp or spoiled in the humidity. The shop is a bit cramped because we try to fit in as many different items as possible. You might find a stack of notebooks next to some soaps or pulses. It’s a neighborhood store through and through. We know when the local schools let out because the kids come in for small treats or pens. We don't have fancy displays or bright lights, just a few bulbs and our wooden counters. My uncle started this place, and I’ve been helping out since I was a teenager. It’s just what we do. We like the rhythm of the station road and the familiar faces that come through our door every evening after the commute. It's good work.