Vikas Pan Bhandar

Vikas Pan Bhandar is located right in the heart of the Purani Sabji Mandi at Hemraj Market. It is just a small corner shop, but it stays busy because of all the people coming and going from the vegetable market. I spend most of my day sitting on a small wooden bench, preparing betel leaves and mixing the different ingredients like lime and catechu. There is usually a line of people waiting for their pan right after the lunch hour or late in the evening. The market is a noisy place with vendors shouting their prices and cows walking through the lanes, but that is just life at Hemraj Market. I have seen the shops around here change many times, but my pan stall stays pretty much the same. People come by for a quick chat, a cigarette, or a sweet pan to finish their meal. I have all my jars of spices and gulkand lined up so I can reach them easily. My fingers are almost always stained with the red color of the ingredients, which is just part of the job. Sometimes children stop by for a cold drink or some small candies we keep on the shelf. It is not a huge business, but it supports my family and keeps me busy. Most of the other shopkeepers in Purani Sabji Mandi are like friends to me. We all work late into the night until the market finally gets quiet.