Sk Ainul

Our shop is right on 23 Rani Rashmoni Road. It’s very close to New Market in Kolkata. If you’ve ever walked down there, you know how crowded it gets with all the shoppers and the rickshaws. We’ve been part of this neighborhood for a long time. My name is Sk Ainul and I basically run the show here with a couple of helpers. We do a bit of everything depending on what the day brings. The building is old, like most things around New Market, and the stairs are a bit steep. We usually have the radio playing in the background while we work. The street noise is constant but you stop hearing it after a few years. People stop by all day just to chat or ask for things. We don't have a website or anything like that. Most of our business comes from people walking past or folks who have known us for twenty years. We keep our supplies stacked up against the walls. It gets a bit cramped when we have a lot of stock delivered. During the rainy season, we have to watch the door so the water doesn't come in from the street. We just open up early, sweep the floor, and see who comes in. It’s a simple life and we like being in the middle of all the Kolkata action. There's always something happening right outside our window, from tea sellers to people rushing to the market.