Bollywood Bazar

If you are looking for Shop 2238 on Mutton Street in Byculla, you might have to look twice because the signs are old and the street is always packed with people. We are right in the middle of all the noise and the morning bustle of the local market. The shop isn't very big, so we have to stack things all the way up to the ceiling. It’s a bit of a maze inside. You’ll find all sorts of stuff tucked away in corners, and sometimes even I forget what we put in the very back cabinets. The air smells like old wood and maybe a bit of metal polish. We spend a lot of time dusting things off because Mutton Street is quite a dusty place to be with all the traffic. People walk in just to look around or to ask for directions to the next lane, and we don't mind. It is a social place. We sit on small stools near the front and watch the world go by when it’s not too busy with customers. The shop has a heavy iron shutter that we struggle with every morning and evening. There is no fancy decor here, just old wooden shelves and a lot of items that have been sitting there for years. It is a real local spot where we know the neighbors and the tea seller knows exactly how much sugar we like in our glass.