Mama Panwale

Everyone in Hadapsar just calls me Mama, so that’s why the shop has that name. I’ve been in this spot for a long time, watching the kids grow up and start coming here as adults. My shop is small and filled with the smell of sweet tobacco and fresh leaves. I keep everything within arm's reach because there isn't much room to move around. I spend my mornings prepping the ingredients, cutting the nuts and mixing the pastes. It’s a lot of repetitive work, but I like it. People come here for a bit of a break in their day. We talk about the weather or the traffic in Hadapsar, which is always getting worse. I don't try to sell people things they don't want, they just tell me what they like and I make it. Sometimes I run out of the good leaves early if the market was bad that morning. The floor is just concrete and the walls could use a fresh coat of paint, but it doesn't matter much to the people who stop by. I stay open until late at night because that’s when the air cools down and people like to walk around. It’s just me and my little stall, day in and day out, and I’m happy with that. I don't need much more than a busy counter and some friendly faces to keep me going.