Jai Malhar Pan Shop

Our shop is located in Wagholi, right on Vallabh Baug Lane. It’s a small space, mostly just a counter and some shelves filled with jars and packets of things. There isn’t really any room for people to go inside, so everyone just stands out on the lane while we get things ready. It’s a narrow road and sometimes cars have a hard time getting past if too many people are hanging around the counter. We spend our day folding leaves and mixing the different fillings for the orders. Our hands are usually stained by the end of the shift, but that's just how it goes with this kind of work. We have a small radio that plays music in the background, mostly just local stations that have a lot of talking. The lane is quite lively, especially in the evening when the work day ends and people are heading home to their families. We see a lot of the same faces every single day. They stop for a minute, have a chat about the weather or the traffic, and then move on. We don’t have any fancy displays or neon lights to show off. It’s just a traditional pan shop where we do things the way they’ve always been done by us. The jars are old and the wooden counter is smooth from years of use. It’s a simple life here in Wagholi, just keeping the shop open and talking to the neighbors as they pass by our little corner. Sometimes we stay open a bit later if people are still there.