Farmaaish Lane near SCMC is a hub of eateries and restaurants – from street food to snacks to a la carte fine dining. However, there is one shop that stands out from the rest. Instead of lights and music, the smell of food and the chattering of customers, what you will hear here is the soft chirping of birds – welcome to the Cosmos Majjwani Pet Store! It is calm and fluttery at the same time. Colourful fishes and chirping birds keep the store lively. The odd one in this chaos is the quiet white rabbit nibbling at a piece of cabbage inside its cage. The aquariums and the bird cages are overshadowed by the countless pet food and care products on sale. The attachment of the owner to these to-be pets is evident. He says, “Haan, ab yahan akele baithna padta hai dukaan me toh in logo (the animals and the birds) ke saath accha lagta hai,” (I sit alone in the store, so it feels good to have the company of these living beings). Some people also leave their fishes and birds in the store whenever they have to go out of town for a few days. Till then, the owner of the store takes care of them. This store started three years ago, during the same time when the Covid pandemic announced itself to the world. The profits for the store are negligible, and the store is just able to sustain itself by managing to earn enough to pay the rent. “The margin is very low,” the owner laments. This seems to be the story of many businesses today; business is recovering after the pandemic, albeit slowly. Nevertheless, unlike other shops, the ‘items’ on sale here are not lifeless. They are colourful and active living beings, future companions and friends, preparing themselves to get a home.
10 Mar 2023
Ambika Bapat
