R.K. Masala Bhandar

We've been at Plot No. 36 in the Dakhneshwar main market area of Bayad for quite some time now. People around Sabarkantha know us for the spices we keep on the shelves. It’s a busy spot here, especially in the mornings when the market really gets going. We spend most of our day grinding things and packing them into small bags for the folks who walk in. It's dusty work, but it's what we do. My hands usually smell like coriander or turmeric by the time I head home. We don't have a fancy setup with bright lights or anything like that. It’s just a regular shop where you can find what you need for your kitchen. Sometimes the bags aren't lined up perfectly on the counter because we're busy weighing things out for a neighbor. The air inside the shop is thick with the scent of red chilies, which makes people sneeze sometimes if they aren't used to it. We keep track of everything in a ledger book. It’s simple. Most of our customers are people we've known for years. They come by, talk about the weather or the price of grain, and pick up their masala. We try to keep the bins full so nobody has to go home empty-handed. It’s just how things run here in Bayad. Not much changes from day to day, and we like it that way. Just hard work and good spices for the local community.