Kiran Pan Center

Kiran Pan Center is right by the Chandlodiya Overbridge in Khatodara Ghanshyam Nagar. You can hear the cars driving over the bridge all day long. It’s a steady thumping sound. My shop is small, just a little stall really. I have rows of jars filled with different things. Some are sweet, some are for the pan. I spend a lot of time sitting on a small wooden stool. I watch people go by. Some are in big cars, some are walking. I know most of the people who live in Ghanshyam Nagar. They stop by for a cigarette or just to get some change. I keep the leaves wrapped in a damp cloth so they stay fresh. If they dry out, they’re no good. My hands are usually stained a bit green or red from the ingredients I handle. It’s not a fancy place. The roof is made of corrugated metal and it makes a lot of noise when it rains. I have a small mirror on the wall so people can check their faces after they eat. Sometimes I run out of small coins and have to go to the shop next door to trade a big note. It’s just a small business, nothing more. I stay open late because that’s when the bridge traffic slows down and people finally have time to stop. My back usually hurts by the time I close.