V. Kumar Bottle Wala

Down here at No. 118 in Chowk Tilak Bazar, things never really stop moving. We are right near Khari Baoli, and the address even repeats it twice because it’s such a well-known spot. The air always smells like cumin or chili from the big spice market. At V. Kumar Bottle Wala, we deal with all kinds of glass and plastic bottles. It’s a crowded spot, and we have crates stacked up on the sidewalk more often than not. I’ve been working in this area since I was a teenager. The noise from the carts and the rickshaws is constant. We spend a lot of time loading and unloading trucks in the narrow lanes. It’s a bit of a puzzle to get everything to fit sometimes. I usually sit at a small wooden desk near the entrance so I can see everyone coming in. We sell bottles for medicines, oils, and all sorts of liquids. Some of the glass is quite fragile, so we have to be careful how we handle the boxes. I’ve broken my fair share over the years, that’s for sure. My clothes usually have a bit of dust on them from the cardboard and the straw we use for packing. It is a very old-fashioned way of doing business, but in Tilak Bazar, that is just how it is. We know the other traders and the tea sellers around here. We just keep the shop open and try to help people find the right containers for their goods.