Shamjibhai Shakwala

Our shop is Shamjibhai Shakwala, located over in Matunga East on Lane No 14/2. We are specifically at Chavan Nagar, Shop No 32, right on L N Road. It’s been here for a good while now, and the routine hasn't changed much over the years. Every morning starts before the sun is even up properly, getting the fresh crates in and sorting through everything. We set up the display out front so people walking to the station can see what we have. It’s a busy spot with a lot of noise from the traffic on L N Road. The space inside the shop is quite small, so we have to be clever about how we stack the boxes and keep everything organized. Sometimes the rain makes the lane a bit messy, but that is just part of being in this area. We get a lot of regulars who live in the nearby chawls and the newer buildings that have come up recently. We don’t do anything fancy here, it’s just honest work day in and day out. The old fan in the corner makes a clicking sound, but it keeps the air moving enough. If you’re looking for us, we’re right near the entrance to the lane, and you’ll usually see us busy with a customer or cleaning up. We have seen the neighborhood change a lot, but our little shop in Chavan Nagar stays pretty much as it was. We just keep things simple and stay here every day.