Mahesh Pan Corner

Mahesh Pan Corner is tucked away at Sarafa Bazar 15, right where the jewelry shops are the thickest. It is a narrow little space, barely enough for me to stand and maybe two people to wait, but it works for what we do. The air in the bazaar is always heavy with the smell of the city and the sound of people bargaining over gold and silver. I spend my hours preparing the betel leaves, cutting off the dry stems and spreading the paste just right. Every person likes their pan a little different, some want more kattha and some want it sweet, and I try to remember all their little preferences so they do not have to tell me twice. It makes people feel like they belong here. I have a small wooden stool I sit on when business is slow, watching the shoppers pass by. The fridge in the corner hums loudly and sometimes it leaks a little water on the floor, but it keeps the glass bottles cold and that is what matters in this heat. My hands are always busy with the leaves, even when I am talking. I have lived in this neighborhood all my life and I know almost every face that walks past Sarafa Bazar. It is not a big business by any means, just a small corner where people can stop for a minute and take a breath.