Ram Avtar Gupta & Co.

Up on the first floor of 514, Lahori Gate, you’ll find Ram Avtar Gupta & Co. It’s right in the heart of the old market area, so it’s crowded from the moment the sun comes up. The stairs leading up to our office are a bit steep and narrow, so you have to watch your step. Once you’re inside, it’s a different world from the street. We have stacks of ledgers and papers everywhere. It smells like old paper and ink in here, which I actually quite like. This is where we handle all the business stuff, sitting at old wooden desks that have been here longer than I have. The Lahori Gate area is full of history, and we feel like a small part of that. There is always someone coming in to ask a question or drop off a file. We don't have air conditioning that works very well, so we keep the fans going all day long. It gets hot in the summer, but we just drink more water and keep moving. We are a small team, and we’ve known each other for years. There’s no corporate talk here, just plain speaking about what needs to be done. We stay busy with the day-to-day tasks that keep a business like this running. It’s not a fancy life, but it’s a steady one. We just take things one day at a time at the shop.