Ajit Pan Center

Ajit Pan Center is located in Shukrawar Peth at Nisha Pole Naka, house 381. This is the old part of Pune, where the lanes are so narrow you can barely fit a car. I’ve lived and worked here for most of my life. My shop is part of an old building, and you can see the thick wooden beams in the ceiling. It’s cool inside even when it’s boiling hot out on the street. I have these old glass cabinets that my father used. They’re a bit scratched up now, but they still hold all the jars of fennel seeds and cardamom. People who grew up in this peth still come back to see me, even if they’ve moved to the newer parts of town. We talk about how the neighborhood used to be before all the old houses were torn down for apartments. I use a very old brass cutter for the nuts, and it makes a sharp snapping sound that I’ve grown to love. The floor is made of smooth stone that’s worn down in the middle from people standing there for years. There’s a small drain outside that gets clogged when it rains, so I keep a broom handy to push the water away. It’s a quiet life here at the naka. I just fold the leaves and listen to the bells from the nearby temple.