Shopkeepers rearrange knick knacks at the gift store

Gifting smiles
Atul Maru's Channel 9 gift shop has been around for as many years as the subway. Much like a typical neighbourhood gift store, this one is home to knick knacks ranging from wall clocks, photo albums, idols and good-luck plants to board games and jewellery. "Most of the customers that I get are educated working professionals. It's convenient for them to stop by and pick something up quickly," Maru tells us, adding that advocates, railway employees and amusingly, BMC officials are among his regulars, along with those visiting the hospitals in the vicinity. "My customers are typically strapped for time and so, they come here when in search of affordable everyday items," he explains.

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Shree Ji's store

Food on-the-go
While the popularity of Shree Ji's, a grocery and farsan store, has reached beyond the subway, Food Step, a gift shop that was renovated last year to become a mini supermarket, has gained traction among commuters, too. It is home to a variety of food items, including packaged goods like chocolates, gums, candies and juice boxes, as well as packaged snacks like idli, dhokla and poran poli.

A woman picks out farsan at Food Step

"We source most of our items from vendors. However, we also keep seasonal eats like special ladoos and barfis that don't go bad easily and are usually made by home cooks and housewives," owner Pravin Saiya tells us.

Commuters stop by for a bite at the snack corner

Snacking away
Amol Kasle's Masumi Snack Corner originally started out of the need to generate fast cash to pay for the workers employed in his jewellery business, where long-drawn transactions are common. But over the last 15 years, it has grown to become a go-to for commuters looking for a quick bite.

On offer are a range of chaats like bhel puri, pani puri and sev puri, samosa, sandwich and tea and coffee. "We don't get any high-fi customers, so most of our items are priced within R30," Kasle says, adding that he finds the BMC's claims illogical as commuters go straight in or out. "It's not like people are going to go left or right into the walls, so structurally, there is no need to remove these stalls," he argues.

Ashok Kumar helps a customer pick out one of the popular white shirts

White collar hippie
A cursory scan of the subway will confirm that white shirts are a hit. Located in a neighbourhood that is home to corporate offices, law firms and ironically, the BMC office, it is not difficult to tell why. The facade of 20-odd garment stores and stalls are lined with heaps of these pristine white garments, varying only in size and generally priced at a flat R100. Ajay Kumar Singh, owner of Me Me Bags, an 18-year-old garment stall, says that the larger percentage of his customers hail from the lower and middle classes, comprising those looking for cheap wear and children's clothes within the R350-bracket. Having spent almost two decades in the subway, Kumar has seen it change. "Pehle yahan bahut log aate the, lekin aatankvadi humle ke baad, tourists bahut kam aane lage hain," he says. When terrorists opened fire on passengers at the CSMT on 26/11, Kumar recalls witnessing a flurry of horrified passengers, finding out from them what had transpired, and running for his life. "I came back 15 minutes later to shut my shop and secure my belongings," he shares. "The BMC officials want to clear congestion, but the truth is, the footfall has anyway slumped over the years. If you ever visit on a day when the Harbour line is shut, you'll see a different picture. We get almost no customers on such days," he adds. Although slightly more high-budget, another favourite for garments among regulars and a store worth checking out is Chalte Chalte.

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