Patel Pan Center

We are tucked away in Bardoli Gandhinagar 3, right where the road bends a little. Patel Pan Center is just a small corner spot where people pull over for a minute or two. I spend my days behind the counter, mostly cutting betel nuts or tidying up the jars. The afternoon sun hits the front of the shop pretty hard, so we usually have the awning down to keep things cool. It’s a simple life. I see the school kids walking past and the old men sitting on the bench nearby. We don’t have any big advertisements or loud music playing. It’s mostly just the sound of the traffic and the occasional scooter stopping for a quick order. Sometimes the supply truck is late and I have to wait around, but that gives me time to talk to the neighbors. The shelves are packed with all sorts of small things people might need. I try to keep everything in its right place, though it gets a bit cluttered during the evening rush. It’s not a glamorous job, but it’s what I know. We’ve been here for years, and the shop has become a bit of a landmark for people looking for directions in this part of Gandhinagar. We just do our work and keep the shop open until the night gets late and the streets go quiet.