Monishil

The shop is called Monishil, and you can find us in Motilal Colony, specifically near the 2 No area in Rajbari Colony. It’s a quiet part of Kolkata - 700081 compared to the main roads. We have been in this small room for a long time. The walls have some old posters of movie stars from years ago, mostly just to cover up some cracks in the plaster. We have a small bench outside for when the three chairs inside are full. In the afternoons, it gets quite hot, so we keep the door shut and run the old fan as fast as it can go. Most of the people living around Rajbari Colony know us. We see the same faces every month. It’s a humble place. We use standard scissors and a manual razor that I sharpen myself. There’s no computer or billing system here; we just remember who owes what or take the cash right then. Sometimes the neighborhood kids come in just to cool off for a second. We don’t mind. It’s a community shop. Motilal Colony is a place where everyone knows everyone else’s business, and the saloon is usually where the news gets shared first. We aren't looking to grow into a big chain or anything. We just want to keep the shop running and serve the folks who live on this street. It’s steady work and we like it. The floor is old but we sweep it every hour or so.