Manish Novelty

The shop is right here on Mumbai Pune Road, just across from Renuka Bhavan. It’s been sitting in this spot for quite some time now. Most mornings start with unlocking the front gate and sweeping the dust off the step because the road outside gets really busy with trucks and cars. Inside, the shelves are pretty much packed with all sorts of things, from small toys to everyday items people in Godadara might need. There’s not a lot of extra space, so you have to watch your elbows when you’re walking through the aisles. Sometimes the overhead light flickers a bit, but we just get on with things. People stop by on their way home from work to pick up something quick, and we usually know most of them by name by now. It isn't a fancy place with bright lights or anything like that. Just a regular shop where the ceiling fan hums all afternoon while we wait for the next person to walk through the door. Usually, it's quiet around noon, then picks up later when the schools let out nearby. We spend a lot of time just reorganizing the boxes or checking what needs to be restocked for the next week. It’s a simple routine, and we don't really change much because this way works for us. The address is 273, and you can see our sign from the main road if the traffic isn't too heavy. We usually close up when it gets dark and the traffic starts to thin out.