Hana Collections

Started Hana Collections in Mahim because there wasn't much around here that felt right for the local crowd. It is just a small place, nothing too fancy. We spend most of the morning dusting off the racks and getting the new stock out from the plastic. Mahim gets really busy around noon, so that is when things finally pick up for us. I usually sit near the door on a wooden stool to say hello to everyone who passes by. Some people just come in to browse while they wait for their bus or to get out of the heat. We have a lot of different clothes, some stitched and some just plain fabric. It took a long time to get the lighting right in here, and even now, the back bulb usually flickers. My cousin helps me out on the weekends when it gets crowded. We don't use a big computer system, so everything is written down in a blue ledger. Sometimes we run out of bags, which is a bit of a mess, but customers are usually okay. The rainy season is tough because the floor gets muddy no matter how many times we mop it. But we stay open anyway. It’s just how it is here. People know where we are, right near the main stretch. We’ve been here a few years now. We drink tea from the stall across the way twice a day. It is a simple business, just selling what people need. We close the shutters at nine.