Lyka Stationery Mart

The shop is located right on Bazargate Street. It’s a very old part of Mumbai, right near the Zaveri Bazar area. Kalbadevi is always packed with people. You can barely walk sometimes without hitting someone’s shoulder. We have been selling pens, notebooks, and office supplies here for a long time. The shelves go all the way up to the ceiling. It’s a bit of a mess, to be honest. But I know exactly where everything is hidden. If someone wants a specific kind of blue ink, I can usually find it in a minute. We get a lot of students and office workers coming in. They mostly want cheap paper and good metal clips. We don't have air conditioning here. Just the breeze from the front door, which isn't much on a hot day. It’s very noisy outside with all the honking and the street vendors shouting. Shaikh Memon Street is never quiet, even late at night. I start the day by dusting the glass counters. There is always so much dust coming in from the road. We don't have a fancy logo or a big sign. Just the name on a board outside. My father started this business, and now I run it. It’s a small living but it’s ours. We don't try to compete with the big malls. People come here because they know us. It’s just a regular stationery shop in a busy city.