Om Chewdra

Our shop is right in the middle of the madness at No. 1083 in Main Bazar, Pahargunj. If you know Delhi at all, you know how crowded this street gets with tourists and locals all pushed together. We have been in this old building for a long time now. The walls are a bit thin and you can hear every single rickshaw horn from the street outside. I spend most of my day behind the wooden counter. It is a small space, so we have to be very organized with where we put everything we have. The shelves go all the way up to the ceiling. I started working here when I was much younger, helping out my father with the customers. Now I am the one opening the heavy shutters every morning at dawn. The floor is made of old stone that is worn down from all the feet walking over it for years. We do not really do anything fancy here. We just sell what we have and try to be fair with everyone who walks through the door. Sometimes it is so busy you can barely move, and other times I just sit and watch the stray dogs or the tea seller across the way. It is a lot of dust and noise, but Pahargunj has a spirit you won't find anywhere else. I am usually tired by the end of the day, but I would not know what to do if I wasn't here.