Narayan Bhandar

Narayan Bhandar is a small shop located at 122 No. on Shyam Nagar Road. We are quite close to the Dumdum Park Post Office in Kolkata. The area is always moving with people and rickshaws. Our shop has been at this address for a long time, and the walls show the age a little bit. We sell basic groceries like mustard oil, loose spices, and packets of tea. The humidity in Kolkata means we have to be careful with how we store things so they stay fresh. We don't have any big glass displays or air conditioning. It is just a simple room filled with wooden shelves. People often stop here on their way to the post office or when they are walking home from the bus stop. We know the names of most of the people who live around Shyam Nagar Road. Sometimes the rain gets very heavy and we have to pull down the plastic sheets to keep the shop dry. My brother and I take turns sitting on the wooden stool at the entrance. It is a quiet kind of work most of the time. We don't do any advertising or promotional stuff. If people need something for their kitchen, they know where to find us at 122 No. We stay open until the last few people finish their shopping in the evening. It is a busy life but we like being part of the neighborhood.