Vandev Flower Stall

If you’ve ever walked down Mangaldas Road in Dadar West, you’ve probably seen Vandev Flower Stall. We’re right there in the thick of it, surrounded by all the chaos of the market. Dadar is famous for its flowers anyway, so competition is everywhere, but we just focus on our little corner and the people we know. It’s a hectic place to work. There are people rushing to the station, delivery bikes weaving through the crowds, and the constant sound of horns. I like the energy of it, though. I usually have a tea in the morning while I start sorting through the marigolds and jasmine that come in daily. Everything is done by hand here. I don't have fancy machines or a polished showroom with glass windows. It's just wooden crates, plastic buckets, and a lot of string for tying bundles together. My fingers are usually calloused from the stems and the cold water, but that’s just part of the job. I try to keep the stall looking decent, but when it’s busy, things get messy fast with leaves and petals everywhere. Mangaldas Road is always crowded, so you have to be quick with your hands. I’ve known some of the other vendors here for decades, and we mostly look out for each other. We don’t talk about missions or visions. We just talk about the price of the flowers and the weather. I show up, sell what I can, and head home when the buckets are finally empty. That is my daily life here.