Monginis

You can find us at 239 Charni Road, which is a place that never really seems to go to sleep. The building is old, and it has that specific smell of aged stone and city dust. We open up the shutters every morning and the first thing I do is check the display cases. It’s a bit of a routine now. Charni Road is always packed with people rushing to the station or coming from the markets, so we get a lot of foot traffic just passing by the door. We aren’t a huge shop, but we’ve got enough room for the essentials. Sometimes the heat in the afternoon gets to be a lot, even with the fans going, but we just deal with it. I spend a lot of time talking to the regulars who have been coming here for years. They don't want anything new, just the same stuff they’ve always liked. We keep the shelves stocked as best as we can. The back room is where we keep the extra bags and the cleaning supplies. It’s a bit cramped, honestly. Every now and then, the traffic outside gets so loud we have to shout over the counter to hear what someone is asking for. It’s just how life goes in this part of Mumbai. We stay open until late, then lock up and do it all again the next day.