Hanuman Pan Shop

I have been sitting here in Kanjurmarg East for quite a few years now. The shop is small, just enough space for me to sit and reach all the different jars and containers. Every single morning I start the day by washing the fresh leaves and getting the betel nut sliced up just right. People stop by on their way to the station or right after they finish their lunch at the nearby stalls. It is a busy little corner. Sometimes people just want a single cigarette or a box of matches. The small ceiling fan makes a steady clicking noise that I have mostly stopped hearing after all this time. Hanuman Pan Shop is not really anything special to look at from the street, just a simple counter with some snack packets hanging from the roof. I know most of the regulars by what they ask for before they even say a word to me. It gets very humid around here, so I always keep a cold bottle of water tucked away behind the counter. Sometimes the monsoon rain comes in sideways and I have to quickly pull the thick plastic sheet down to keep the stock dry. It is just how the work goes. I do not have a big team or anything like that, it is just me and occasionally my younger brother comes by when he is not working his other job. We stay open pretty late because that is when the crowd from the offices finally heads back home.