Shiv Smruti Pan Shop

Our shop is located in the Paranse Building on the ground floor. We are right at Appa Balwant Chowk, which is a very famous and busy spot in the Budhwar Peth area. Specifically, we are on Holkarwadi Road, Area No 25. If you know this part of the city, you know how much traffic and how many people are always moving around here. The shop is small and we’ve got it packed with all the usual items. It’s a bit of an old building, so we have to do a lot of cleaning because of the dust from the road. I usually start the day early because the commuters and the students start showing up around eight or nine. It’s a fast-paced place. People don’t usually hang around for long; they just buy what they need and keep walking towards the main chowk. Sometimes the noise from the buses and the horns is so loud that we have to shout a bit to hear the customers. I’ve been in this spot for a long time, so I know most of the other shopkeepers on this block. We all sort of look out for each other. It’s a tough way to make a living, standing in such a small space all day, but it’s a good location for a pan shop. We stay open until the street gets quiet at night, which doesn't happen until very late.