Sad Guru Krupa Pan Center

Sad Guru Krupa Pan Center has been sitting here at Chembur 15 in the Hadapsar area for many years. It is a small shop, mostly filled with rows of glass jars on the shelves. We spend the day preparing betel leaves with various fillings that we keep spread out on the counter. It is all manual work, folding each leaf exactly the right way so it stays together. Most people stop by after they have finished their meals to get something to chew on. We end up talking to almost everyone who walks up to the counter. It is a very social way to make a living. The air always smells like sweet spices and tobacco. We try our best to keep the counter wiped down, but the stains from the ingredients are hard to get rid of completely. It is just part of the job. We don't have many employees, just a couple of us who take turns with the shifts. We know what our regulars want as soon as we see them walking down the street. It is a simple and quiet life for the most part. We watch the cars and bikes go by on the main road all day. The jars need to be topped up constantly. We don't use any high-tech equipment, just a simple cash box and a book to keep track of things. We have a small radio that we listen to when things are slow. It isn't a business that makes us rich, but it keeps us going and we know the neighborhood people well. That is enough for us.