Jewellery shop owners near Zaveri Bazaar, where one of the two car bombs exploded on Monday, said it will take at least '15-20 days' for their business to normalise.
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Though some of the shops were open on Tuesday afternoon -- they were kept shut in the morning due to the visit of Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi -- the usual throng was missing.
Zaveri Bazaar and its immediate surroundings make for one of the busiest market places in Mumbai. People from Mumbai and nearby areas visit it for wholesale and retail trade.
Popat Jain, owner of Jee Gold, told rediff.com that though he kept the shop open for sometime in the morning and later in the afternoon, after Advani and Sonia completed their visits, customers stayed away.
"People like me whose homes are nearby opened the shops today, but customers did not visit us," he said. "I got many calls from customers from other cities. They wanted to know the condition and security of the market. Most of them said they will pay a visit only after 10-15 days."
Other shop owners in the area supported Jain's contention. One said that heavy police checking following the twin blasts have also put off prospective customers. "We generally have women customers coming in large numbers. With increased (police) checking after the blast, they will comfortable to visit the market only after 20 days."
