Ashima Hair Cutting Saloon

Our little place, Ashima Hair Cutting Saloon, is tucked away at 21/1, Abinash Chandra Sarkar Road. If you know the area in Kolkata - 700076, you probably pass by us without thinking much about it. It’s just a regular shop with a blue door and a few old pictures on the walls. We started this because it’s what we know how to do. The neighborhood has changed a lot over the years, but the way we cut hair hasn't changed much. We use the same kind of combs and razors we’ve always used. Sometimes the lights flicker when the power gets low in the evening, but we manage. People come in and talk about their day or the cricket scores while they wait their turn. We don't have a big staff, just a couple of us working the chairs. The tea stall next door brings us chai in small glass cups twice a day. It’s a routine that keeps us going. We try to keep the place clean, though the dust from the road always finds its way inside. There’s no waiting list or anything like that. You just walk in and if a chair is empty, you're next. We’ve seen kids grow up and start bringing their own kids here. We keep the shop open until quite late in the evening most days. It’s just a life on Abinash Chandra Sarkar Road, nothing more and nothing less.