Tambi Panwala

Our shop, Tambi Panwala, sits right at the Sion Corner of Dhanji Street. It’s a tight spot on Mumbadevi Road 33, and things can get quite crowded around here. The building is old, and we’ve had to fix the ceiling a few times because of leaks during the monsoon. We keep the betel nuts in big sacks in the back room. The front counter is where everything happens. You can hear the buses turning the corner all day long. It's a busy part of Sion, and we see all kinds of people passing through Dhanji Street. We wake up early to get the fresh leaves from the market. My hands are usually stained with kattha by midday, and it’s hard to wash off. We don't have any air conditioning, just a small fan that rattles when it’s on the high setting. There are some glass jars on the shelves filled with sweets and different types of tobacco. We try to keep things organized, but in such a small space, it’s a constant struggle. Mumbadevi Road 33 is always full of life, and we are right in the middle of it. Sometimes customers stay and chat for a bit, but mostly they just grab what they need and go. We’ve been at this corner for a long time, and the wooden boards of the shop have seen a lot of weather. It’s just a basic shop for the local community. We have a small mirror hanging by the entrance.