Shital Pan Shop

We are tucked away in Kasarwadi, right on the 6th C Main in the 4th Block. It is a tiny corner, really. Most of the time, I am just sitting behind the counter waiting for the next person to walk up. The jars of supari and all the different pastes are lined up right in front of me. I’ve lived around here forever, so I know most of the faces that stop by. They usually want a quick leaf after their lunch. I spend a lot of time washing the betel leaves and keeping them damp under a cloth so they stay fresh. It’s a bit of a messy job, my hands are always stained with something or other. Sometimes the kids come by for some small snacks or gum, but mostly it is the older men. They like to stand around and chat for a few minutes while I fold the leaves. The street outside can get pretty loud with the traffic, but inside the shop, it’s just me and the radio. I don't have a big staff, just myself and sometimes my cousin helps out when I need a break. We stay open late because that’s when people are out walking. It’s just a simple life running a pan shop. Nothing fancy about it. We just keep the leaves fresh and the jars full. Sometimes the rains make the roof leak a bit, but we just put a bucket under it.