Ajit Pan Centre

You can find us in Shukrawar Peth, right in the middle of all the old buildings and narrow streets. It’s a small shop, mostly just a counter where I stand and the shelves behind me. I’ve been here for a long time now. Every morning starts with getting the betel leaves ready and making sure everything is fresh. The smell of the lime and the different spices is always there in the air. It’s not a fancy place at all. The paint on the walls is a bit old, and the space is tight. People stop by for a quick pan after their meals or just to chat for a minute while they wait. The street outside is always crowded with bikes and people walking to the market nearby. In the evenings, it gets really busy and I don't have much time to look up. I just keep making the parcels one after another. Sometimes it rains and the water splashes near the front, so I have to keep mopping it up. It is a simple life, just running this pan center. I know most of the people who live around here by their first names. We don't have a website or anything like that. If you want something, you just come to Shukrawar Peth and look for us. I stay open late into the night because that is when most people want a pan after dinner. It is just the way we have always done it.