Gayatri Varieties

We’ve been here in Kalewadi for a while now at Gayatri Varieties. It’s one of those shops where things just sort of pile up because we try to have a little bit of everything for everyone. You might find a specific type of ribbon one day and a set of kitchen bowls the next. The front of the shop stays open to the street, so we see everyone walking by to the market. When it rains, we have to pull the plastic sheets down quick to keep the stock dry. It’s a lot of work keeping track of all the small items, but it keeps the day interesting. Some people come in just to ask for directions or to see if we’ve seen their neighbor. Kalewadi is a tight neighborhood that way. We don't have a big fancy sign or anything, just the name and the items displayed out front so people know what we’ve got. Sometimes the lights flicker when the power is acting up, but we just use the battery backup and keep going. My hands are usually a bit dirty from unpacking boxes or moving crates around. It’s not the quietest job, but it’s ours. We drink a lot of tea while waiting for the afternoon heat to pass. Most of the time, the shop feels like a second home because we spend more hours here than anywhere else. It is just a normal local spot for normal people.