Aysa Pan Bidi Shop

Our little place is tucked away in Bandra West 1, right where the main road starts to get busy. It’s a tight space, but we’ve managed to fit everything we need inside. My brother and I take turns sitting here. Most mornings start with the delivery guy dropping off the fresh bundles of leaves. They have to be washed and kept damp, otherwise they go bad in the heat. We get a lot of college kids and office workers passing through because of the location. It gets really hectic around five in the evening when everyone is heading home and wants something for the road. We don't really have a sign that stands out, but people seem to find us just fine. The jars on the counter are filled with different supari and mouth fresheners that we buy from the wholesaler every Tuesday. Sometimes the electricity goes out and we have to use a candle at night, which makes it hard to see the change. We try to keep things clean, but with the construction going on nearby, the dust is a constant battle. It’s just a regular pan shop, nothing more than that. We’ve been in this same spot for years, watching the buildings around us get taller while we just stay here doing the same thing every day. Most of our customers are the same people every day, which makes the work feel personal.