Magaram Aotaji

Our place is located in the Halwai Bazar area of Sheoganj. It’s a part of town that always smells like sugar and fried things because of all the shops around us. We have been here for quite some time now. The street is narrow so it gets jammed with people and cows sometimes, but that is just how the bazar is. We open up early in the morning before the sun gets too high. Most of our day is spent dealing with people coming in for their daily needs. We don't have a big sign or anything flashy out front. People just know where we are by now. The shelves are packed with all sorts of items and sometimes it’s hard to find where we put something. We just keep a mental list of everything. It gets really busy during the festival times when everyone is out buying things for their homes. We don't really take many breaks during those weeks. The floors are old stone and the walls could probably use a new coat of paint, but we haven't gotten around to it yet. We just focus on the work. The old wooden door squeaks every time someone walks in, but we haven't bothered to oil it much. It is a simple life here in Sheoganj. We know the neighbors and they know us. Sometimes we sit outside on a wooden bench when it’s quiet. It is a lot of work keeping a shop in the bazar but we don't know any other way to do it.