Ravi Paan And Churan Palace

My name is Ravi and I run this small shop at Mount Kailash in Nehru Narag. It’s called Ravi Paan And Churan Palace, though calling it a palace is a bit of a joke my father started years ago. It’s really just a small wooden counter filled with glass jars of different churans and the betel leaves we get fresh every morning from the mandi. People stop by after their dinner or while they are out walking their dogs in the evening. We have all sorts of things in those jars—sweet, sour, and everything in between. The Mount Kailash area is nice, but it gets quite dusty sometimes being right on the corner of the street. I spend a lot of my time just wiping down the glass jars with an old cloth. I’ve been here since I was a teenager, helping my dad out after school. Now it’s my turn to sit on the stool and talk to the regulars who come by. We don't have a fancy display or bright lights, just what fits on the wooden shelves. Sometimes the supply of certain leaves is short, so we have to tell people to come back tomorrow. It’s a small life, but I like the smell of the gulkand and the spices. Nehru Narag is where I grew up, so I know almost everyone who walks by the shop. We just keep the shop open late because that's when most people want a paan. It’s been our family business for a long time.