Shri Balaji Trading Co.

The shop is right here in the Sarai Hakeem area, just a short walk from the old Clock Tower. It gets pretty loud outside during the afternoons when the market is full of people. We’ve been at this spot for a long time now. Most mornings start with pulling up the heavy metal shutters and sweeping the dust off the front step. Trading isn't always easy, especially when the weather gets too hot or it starts raining and the customers stay home. We stock a lot of different things depending on what people are asking for that week. Sometimes the trucks arrive late because of the traffic near the tower, so we just sit and wait with a cup of tea. It is a simple place with wooden counters and shelves that have seen better days. You can hear the clock chime if the wind is blowing the right way. My father used to say this area has changed so much, but our corner stays mostly the same. We don’t have fancy displays or anything like that. Just a lot of boxes and ledgers. Sometimes the neighbors come by just to chat about the news while we work. It’s just how things go around here. People know where to find us if they need something from the market. The air is always a bit dusty, but that’s just part of being in this part of town. We keep the doors open until late evening usually.