Raja Pan Corner

Our little shop, Raja Pan Corner, is located at Jamia Nagar 2. It’s not a large place at all, just a small stall with enough room for one or two people to stand behind the counter. We have rows of glass jars filled with different sweets, nuts, and those colorful mixtures people like to add to their pan. The betel leaves are kept under a damp cloth so they stay fresh and green throughout the day. You’ll usually see a bunch of people standing around outside, especially after dinner time when the whole neighborhood seems to come out for a walk. We spend a lot of our time cutting the nuts or preparing the lime paste that goes on the leaves. The counter is made of wood and is worn down in the middle from years of sliding change across it. There is a small radio we keep in the corner that plays old songs, though sometimes the signal isn't very good and it just crackles. It gets a bit dusty because of the road right in front of us, so we spend our slow moments dusting off the cigarette packs and the soda bottles. It’s a simple life here, just talking to the neighbors and making sure we don't run out of supplies. We’ve been at this spot for a long time and we know exactly which neighbor likes which specific ingredients in their wrap.