Prem Shanker Kumawat

This is the spot for Prem Shanker Kumawat on Old Calcutta Road. We are pretty close to Barapol in the Barrackpore area. If you’re familiar with the 24 Parganas North district, you know how busy these roads can get. It’s a lot of noise from the horns and the people walking by. Our shop is just a basic building. We keep things stacked up inside, and sometimes it gets a bit messy when we get a big delivery. The floor is concrete and we have to wash it down every couple of days because of the dirt from the road. It’s just me and a couple of helpers most days. We don’t have a big corporate team or anyone in suits. We wear what’s comfortable because it gets very humid here. During the monsoon, the rain hits the roof so loud we can barely hear the customers. We just point and nod until the downpour slows down. We’ve got a small corner with a table where we do the accounts. It’s not a very big space, but it fits what we need. People from the neighborhood come by to chat or pick up what they need. We know most of them by name since we’ve been around Barapol for a long time. It’s a steady life. We open up early, get the tea going, and start the day. That’s how it goes here on Old Calcutta Road.