Shree Shyam Bhander

Shree Shyam Bhander sits right on Barakar Station Road, which is always a busy spot. If you know the Barakar area in Burdwan, you know how much noise and traffic there is by the station. We’ve got our shop set up here and it stays crowded from the time we open the shutters in the morning. We stock all the usual things people need for their kitchens, like pulses, oil, and spices. The bags are stacked up against the walls and sometimes it’s hard to move around when a new delivery comes in. We spend a lot of time weighing out items and chatting with the regulars who stop by on their way to the train. It gets a bit dusty because of the road outside, so we’re always wiping down the counters. We don’t really do anything fancy with the displays. Things are just where they fit. My nephew helps me behind the counter when he’s not at school. We drink a lot of chai during the slow hours in the afternoon when the sun is hitting the front of the store. It’s a lot of standing on your feet and dealing with change, but we’ve been here a while and know how the rhythm of the street goes. It’s just a normal local shop trying to keep the shelves full for whoever walks in to get their daily supplies.