Our small tree canopied lane !

Our small tree canopied lane starts from the Jungle Book corner and finishes at the petrol pump. Though frankly as far as i am concerned, the last frontier is Kumardhara. After that, it is all cement and concrete and ugly.

We start at the bench. What a lovely idea ! Just put a bench at a junction and you can sit and watch life go by for hours. Earlier days, i would sit and make my calls frm there. Today, it has rickshawallahs, and other riff raff. But it still carries charm for me. Sometimes, with some "phursat", will love to sit there and read. If one can ignore the screeching brakes at our infamous accident spot. No. I dont think i can sit there any more. If evening has 2 wheelers, afternoons has school buses and vans. Too scary to sit and watch an impending accident because the bench gives you both sides perspective of the T junction.

Then its us. Of course, i LOVE us !

Then Venkateshwara Classes ... Before i opened the Store, i used to pass by in my red matiz to kumardhara, and used to wonder what happened there .... sometimes, i used to see students, sometimes none, but beautiful rangolis .... but always dressed up with plants .... Only later realised it was a coaching class. And now we have kids - waiting for parents, rickshaw kaka, vans to come and pick up..... sometimes wanting to hurriedly read a chapter or two before they come, parents with Xth std anxiety written all over them, waiting for their kids to finish.
Of course, we learn everything. From slokhas to figures of speech to vernier callipers.

And Kamal "Super" market. When i opened my store, the old grandad who sits on a chair o/s kamal said in his own way in hindi, "sirf dukhaan kholke baitna hai ..... kuch saal mein apne aap dhanda badtha hai" So true ! The retail business is all about keeping your Store open all day, all through the year ! A Bania knows it best. Our first lesson in small store economics is " give the ambience of a Crossword or a Landmark, but keep costs like Kamal"

Shilpa started Money Plant after "Sumo" aunty quit her photocopying and tea/coffee business. In the last 5 to 6 years, Shilpa has seen the Stock market zoom and crash. Big news stories break on their stock exchange screens first.

We miss Homeland. Everybody defined their address in the lane w.r.t Homeland. "Near Homeland" "Opposite Homeland" .... We miss Chauhan Aunty, though we see her green zen with her perenially novice driver ... hitting into some car or the other everyday.

Then we have Kumardhara. Praful and his dad and their partner, always polite. Unhelpful but polite. The Store is great. From filter coffee powder (can't live without) to specialities from the South, its a paradise to all South Indians living this side of town. And that's how I discovered my shop. Driving down to Kumardhara, kept eyeing the corner shop under the beautiful big tree.

Our tree. Where often there is a hornbill. Sometimes, it is our favorite langur.

This post is to be continued. It started as a tribute to all those who came into the lane for all these neighbours of ours, and fell in love with us. Thankyou neighbours.

Welcome Chitale, to our neighbourhood.