Exploring Self-Care with Shopkeepers
In India, the cultural capital of Maharashtra has been practising self-care in its own ways longer than we can remember. Famous for shopping roads like Tulsi Baug, Lakshmi Road, MG Road and FC Road, the city of Pune is brimming with small outlets with the most unique collections — clothes, antiques or electrical appliances. There are many reasons to own shops in cities. But Pune provides a unique one — the shops remain closed from 1 pm to 4 pm every afternoon.
The shopkeepers, in many ways, ‘Meghan Markle’ their way out of the chaos of crowds, pull their shutters down halfway and bask in the comfort of the cold metal on the opposite side. An old woman who owns a photography shop in Aundh says that she uses this time to talk to her friends. She has recently learnt how to use her smartphone. “I have to hustle every morning to finish cooking all the food that may be required till dinner so that I get this time for myself,” she giggles, like a magician giving away her magic trick.
Her ritual began only a few years ago until when she used to go back to her house during the three-hour window. As she tells one of her afternoon stories, she is cut short on the telephone interview by one of her family members. She hastily hangs up the phone without completing her sentence. When the phone rings in her house again, a family member picks up and says nothing but, “Sorry, she is busy at the moment.” A call back is not made.
A stroll in the markets of Old Pune would allow one to see the people of the city lounging, hanging around under trees or in specially customised cocoons — small talk is never unwelcome here. A shopkeeper from the Peth area tells me, “It doesn’t matter if the business is slow on any day, my spirits are never down. I’m always waiting to taste the homemade food in my tiffin every afternoon.” Some prefer going back to their house if it’s nearby.
A little further away, on the commercial streets of the city, shops remain open. One never notices when the shopkeepers slip out for lunch while their colleagues take over.
After their lunch, they lounge, catch up on television or take a nap. Most shoppers know of this tradition and choose to respect it. This unspoken kindness is jostled to surprised, wide eyes when a customer tries to enter the shop. In the busy life of a shopkeeper, they have to do accounts, calculate profits, administer stocks, and more.
These three hours allow them to make room for silence and choose to fill it if they want — with music, television or the white noise of the people outside. The deliberate and self-initiating nature of this time classifies itself into a self-care activity. I imagine many know the walls of their space by heart — from the holes made for nails, cobwebs growing in corners to the lonely patch of old paint that the painter missed while renovating the shop. I suppose the decision to renovate was also a product of the 1 pm — 4 pm time window.
Pune has plenty of tea shops, usually called ‘amrut-tulya’ in Marathi meaning ‘like an elixir’ (yes, they really love their tea). To help them comfortably slip out of their solitude, shopkeepers have tea around 4 pm sharp, hand-delivered by a known face from the nearby shop. Here, friendships are made that are never spoken about or described, only greeted subtly every day.
Each sip of the tea is cherished and the shutters are opened again for business. The smiles come back with a hint of snark, ready for the moodiest customers. The remaining thoughts from their time are carefully bundled together and kept in the back of the store. This unfinished business does not cause them anxiety. They can continue tomorrow. They have time.
This feature article was first written in April 2020, at the beginning of the first lockdown in India.