“Which shop came first?”
I was out for an early evening walk. Across the main road near the apartment were shop fronts. Hence the question.
Was it the first shop on the extreme left – Sweta Dental Care? It stood there like an odd ball. There were no similar establishments – no hospital, old people’s home or even a chemist’s shop nearby. Could that shop have been the first?
Then there was the hardware store next to the home-appliances shops. Cement & paint sat well next to steel & aluminum – that seemed right.
Until you saw Jockey next to it.
The appliances shop would be okay with it. But the jewellery shop, Shri Aai-Mata, next door – they had it bad! Underwear sh on one side and a wine shop on the other, I mean really!!
Somehow Shubham Wines had it good. Right next to it was Panchvati Sweets – they kept colas and sugary treats. Booze, fizz & sweets – a great combo! Next to them was Milind Medical Store, when the booze, fizz and sweets wouldn’t work well. Clearly the trio had thought this through.
From there things -– rather the shops began to make sense. A shoe store, followed by textile shops and children’s wear were followed by the dairy or a grocery shop. Everything felt orderly. It became pretty regular and boring.
I kept wondering – did shops just spring up due to plain opportunity or were they part of a larger scheme of things? Did underwear follow hardware or did jewellery follow booze? All good thoughts to mull over, as business thrived and foot traffic increased in the evening hours. I knew there were no clear answers to these very pertinent questions.
Tomorrow, we’ll explore what came first – the chicken or the egg. Until then.
appam stew n prawns patiyo 