Akshay Pan Center

If you ever go down to Swargate, you might have passed by Akshay Pan Center without even noticing it at first. We are tucked away in Chandavarkar Lane, which is usually packed with parked scooters and people walking to the bus stand. I’ve been working here since I was much younger, and the lane hasn't changed much, though the buildings around us are getting taller. The shop itself is small, and the ceiling is a bit low, so I have to be careful when I’m moving the heavy crates around. At Akshay Pan Center, we don’t have any of those modern computers or fancy systems. I just keep track of everything in a small notebook that sits by the cash box. Swargate is a loud place with all the buses honking, but Chandavarkar Lane is slightly tucked away from the worst of it. I usually sit on a plastic chair near the entrance so I can catch whatever breeze comes through. My cousin comes by in the evenings to help me clean up and close the shutters. We have some old pictures on the wall that have faded over the years, but they make the place feel more like ours. It's a simple business, nothing more and nothing less. We just show up every day, open the doors, and wait for the regulars to show up for their usual. It's just a regular life for us here in the city.