A mark of Serenity : Aunty ki Shop

“ Everyone calls it the ‘Aunty ki Shop’, but actually it's named International Copy Centre!

Eighteen years ago, after my husband's death, I took charge of this shop. Back then I was a bit nervous about managing it and dealing with customers, but now I totally love coming to this place. This college.

A lot has changed over these years. Earlier my shop used to have four telephones where students used to queue up waiting for their turn to make calls. Now they mostly come for the stationery and snacks. The photocopy machine drew students as well, but now they prefer the new canteens I guess.

From my first day of working here, to this present day, I have never kept a record of my earnings. Money has never been a prime motive for me to sit at this shop. It's just that I love spending my time here, love watching these young and jolly students pass by, conversing about the classes and lengthy assignments and fighting over who’ll pay the fourteen rupees for the cold drink this time. I just don't want to sit idle at home and hit boredom. New students come and the old ones leave every year. Some of them still call me and pay a visit whenever they are here. Such students, my family and grandchildren are the absolute sources of my happiness. Unlike today's generation, I am very fortunate to have a family like mine, they always ask for my opinion and I always feel included.

This place was no less than a jungle before. Deers, foxes, snakes and peacocks were a common sight. One day, a boy who had come to buy biscuits asked me if I had a pet snake?
Mazaakkr rhe ho beta?, I replied, bemused at what he asked.

He asked me to come out of the shop immediately and see for myself. There was a snake hiding below the shelf from which I handed him the packet of biscuit. The guard came and killed the poisonous snake, despite my wish of letting it go.

These animals are also the creations of God and we should not hurt them. I am a very religious person. My mantra has always been "Trust God not people because people change but God doesn't". I never miss my morning prayer. Before leaving for home, I light a Diya under the peepal tree near the shop. Vaishno Devi, Purnagiri, Mathura, Vrindavan, Shirdi, name any holy place and I have visited it! But I have never been to the temple in this campus. In fact, I never went inside these buildings or to the other side of the college. It’s been eighteen years, still, this place seems new and afresh to me everyday! (laughs) “