Poonam Varieties

Our shop, Poonam Varieties, sits right at Shukrawar Peth 4. If you've walked down this street, you've probably seen our sign hanging out front. It's a busy neighborhood and there’s always noise from the traffic and the other stalls nearby. We sell a bit of everything, which is why we call it Varieties. One minute I'm selling a notebook to a school kid, and the next, someone wants a specific type of kitchen utensil or some thread for sewing. The shelves are pretty high and packed right to the ceiling. Sometimes I have to use the old wooden ladder to get things down for customers because I can't reach the top. It gets dusty, but that’s just how it is in this part of town. We don’t really do much advertising or fancy stuff. People just know we are here. If someone needs a small gift or something basic for the house, they usually stop by on their way home. It’s not a supermarket where you take a cart and walk around. You just ask me what you need and I find it in the piles. The shop has been here for years. We open up early and stay until the market starts to quiet down in the evening. There’s no air conditioning, just a couple of ceiling fans that have been humming for a decade. It’s a simple life running a shop like this.