Tulja Pan Centre

Tulja Pan Centre is a small corner shop in Padra, specifically at 8th Main, A Block. It’s not much more than a counter and some shelves, but we carry a bit of everything. Besides the pan we prepare, we have cigarettes, some candy for the kids, and cold bottles of water. People usually stop their bikes right in front and stay for a few minutes to talk while we wrap their pan. I’ve been folding leaves for a long time now, so I can do it pretty fast without even thinking. The shop is quite narrow, so I spend my day mostly standing in one spot. We have a small radio that plays local stations to keep things from being too quiet. Padra can get dusty, so I’m always dusting off the jars on the shelves. It’s a steady stream of people from morning until late at night. We don't have a website or anything like that. People just know where we are. Sometimes the neighbor's dog sits out front and waits for scraps. It’s a simple way to make a living, watching the neighborhood go by from behind the counter. We make sure the betel leaves are fresh and the lime paste is ready. That’s about all there is to it. It’s just a regular part of the day for the folks living around A Block. If someone is short a few rupees, we usually tell them to pay us next time they pass by.