Mamta Coldrings

Operating out of 1151 Raviwar Peth is always an experience. We are right by RT Nagar near the Sultanpalya Main Road, and the Ganga Nagar Extension area is just a stone's throw away. This part of town is incredibly crowded. There are people walking by constantly, and the noise of scooters is like a permanent background hum. Our shop is where we keep the big refrigerators humming day and night. You can hear the motor clicking on and off if you stay still long enough. The floor is often a bit wet because of the ice and the condensation from the bottles. We stack the crates high against the side wall. It’s a bit of a maze back there. Sometimes the delivery trucks have a hard time getting through the narrow street, so there is a lot of shouting and reversing involved in the mornings. I like the chaos of it, though. When it’s really hot in the summer, the shop is the most popular place on the block. Everyone wants something cold. We don't have fancy decorations, just some old posters on the walls that have faded over the years. There’s a small wooden stool where I sit when there aren't any customers. The air is always a bit humid here because of all the chilled glass. It’s a busy, noisy, honest kind of life in the Peth.