Agrawal Namkeen Mithai Bhandar

Down here in Vikaspuri, specifically at Uday Vihar C74, we’ve got this small place. We focus on namkeen and sweets because that’s what people around here seem to want. It’s not a big operation by any means. We spend a lot of our time in the back, sorting through lentils and spices to make our own mixes. The floor usually has a bit of flour on it no matter how much we sweep. It’s a practical kind of job. We don’t have fancy signs or big lights outside. Most people find us because they live in the blocks nearby and they’ve seen us here for years. We pack the bhujia and sev into simple plastic bags and tie them up with rubber bands. It’s how we’ve always done it. The shop gets crowded in the evenings when families come out for a walk. Sometimes the kids get a bit rowdy around the glass cases, but it’s fine. It’s just part of being in a neighborhood like this. We don’t have a lot of staff, so if it’s busy, you might have to wait a minute or two while we finish weighing someone else’s order. We try to keep everything fresh, making small batches so nothing sits on the shelf for too long. It’s a long day, standing on the hard floor, but it’s the work we have. We just keep going.