Bapna Needs

Marothiya Bazar is a crazy place on the weekends, and Bapna Needs is right in the thick of it at Plot No. 28. We are so close to Kanch Mandir that we get a lot of tourists wandering in by mistake, looking for directions or a bottle of water. The shop is packed from floor to ceiling with all sorts of things people might need for their daily lives. I try to keep it organized, but when it’s busy, things just end up wherever there is a gap on the shelf. The floor is made of old stone that stays cool even when the sun is beating down on the bazar outside. I’ve lived in this neighborhood my whole life, so I know the rhythms of the market pretty well. You learn when to expect the morning rush and when it’s going to be dead quiet during the afternoon heat. My chair is tucked in a little corner behind the register where I can see everyone coming in. We don’t do any of that modern marketing stuff. If the shop is open, people come in because they know we have what they’re looking for. The doorbell rings constantly and the sound of the street sellers is always coming through the door. It’s a lot of noise and a lot of work, but it feels right being here. We just take it one customer at a time and try to stay helpful to whoever walks in.