Abhay Parlour

Our little parlour is over in Malad East at Manek Chowk. It is a small space, number 202, but we make it work. Most people who come in are just passing by on their way home from work or the station. It gets really crowded in the evenings. We don't have a lot of places for people to sit down, so most of them just stand around and talk. We have the usual stuff in the coolers and some snacks on the shelves. It is nothing like those big fancy shops in the malls. The fan on the ceiling is a bit old and noisy, but it helps when the weather gets humid. My brother and I run the place ourselves. We know most of the people in the neighborhood by their first names. We talk about the local news or how the trains are running. Sometimes the power goes out, which is always a headache for the fridge, but we manage somehow. We try to keep the place tidy, but it's hard when it's so busy. We aren't trying to do anything big here, just keeping the shop going every day. We open up early and usually lock the doors late at night. It is a simple life and we like being part of the community here. It’s just how things are for us and we hope to stay here for a while.