Aiku W & Sweets

Living near Parihar Chowk, you get used to the noise. We are on the ground floor of Shrine Garden and it’s a decent spot for a shop like Aiku W & Sweets. Every morning starts with the same routine of hauling in the heavy crates. The floors get sticky pretty fast because of all the sugar we use for the sweets, so someone is always mopping. It’s a never-ending job, really. We don’t have a big team or anything. It’s just a few of us trying to keep things organized. Sometimes the orders get backed up and it gets a bit chaotic behind the counter, especially on weekends when everyone in Mumbai seems to be out for a walk. The display cases are old and they fog up sometimes when it’s raining outside. I have to wipe them every ten minutes so people can actually see what we have ready. Parihar Chowk is always busy with traffic and people shouting, but inside here it's mostly just the sound of the fans. We don’t bother with decorations or anything like that. The walls could probably use a new coat of paint, but we haven't found the time to do it yet. Most customers don’t seem to mind the plain look. They just want their snacks and to get on with their day. It’s a basic business and we like it that way. We just keep our heads down and keep working.