Ambika Mavawala

We've been at Shop No 1 in the Moti Baug Building for a while now. Malad East is a busy place, and being right here on the ground floor means we see everyone passing by. Most mornings start early for us here at Ambika Mavawala. We open up the shutters, sweep the front, and get things ready before the morning rush begins. The building itself has its own character, you know? It’s not a new fancy glass tower, just a solid, older place where people come and go all day. People around here know where we are. It’s a bit noisy with the traffic outside and the honking, but that’s just how it is in this part of town. Sometimes it gets really crowded inside the shop, especially during the festival months when everyone is out shopping for sweets and supplies. We try to keep things organized, but it’s a small space, so we just do what we can. Dealing with suppliers and keeping track of everything takes up most of the day. By the time evening rolls around and the street lights come on, we’re usually thinking about closing up, but there’s always one last thing to finish or a neighbor who stops by to chat. It’s just the work we do, and we’ve gotten used to the rhythm of this neighborhood. We don’t really do much advertising or anything like that. People just find us because we’ve been here at this spot in Malad for so long. It’s just us doing our thing every day.