Navketan Jewelry

Our shop is over at number 3 in Mohini Market, right in the middle of Kucha Mahajani. If you’ve ever been to Chandni Chowk, you know how it is. It’s crowded, loud, and full of people looking for something specific. We have been in this spot for a long time. The space is small, but we make it work. Most days start with opening the shutters and cleaning the glass cases because the dust from the street gets everywhere. We handle a lot of different pieces, mostly traditional stuff that people around here like. It’s a lot of sitting and looking at small details under a lamp. My uncle sits at the back dealing with the accounts, and I’m usually up front. We don’t have fancy air conditioning that works all the time, so we keep the door open and use a pedestal fan. People come in to ask about repairs or to see what’s new in the trays. We don't do much advertising. Most folk find us because their parents or grandparents bought something here years ago. It’s a lot of talking and drinking tea with the neighbors while we wait for the afternoon rush. The market gets very tight in the evenings, and you can barely move, but that’s just life in this part of Delhi. We just keep the lights on and keep showing the jewelry to whoever walks in the door. The tea we get from the stall downstairs is usually too sweet, but it keeps us going.