Shah Mangilal Phoolchand & Co.

If you head down Jumma Masjid Road, you’ll find us at 103/2. It’s an old building, and the stairs are a little narrow, so watch your step coming up. Shah Mangilal Phoolchand & Co. has been here for a long time, and the walls probably have a lot of stories to tell if they could talk. The street outside is always noisy with carts and people shouting, but inside it’s mostly just the sound of calculators and ledgers being flipped. We don’t do things in a very modern way, to be honest. There are stacks of files that have been sitting in the same corner for years. We know where everything is, though. It might look like a mess to someone walking in for the first time, but there is a system to it all. Our days start early because the market wakes up fast. By noon, the heat usually starts kicking in, and we just keep the shutters half-down to stay cool. We’ve known most of the neighbors for decades. It feels more like a community than just a place of business. We aren't trying to be the biggest name out there; we just want to get the work done and go home to our families. It’s a lot of manual work, checking lists and talking to suppliers on the phone. Sometimes the phone line acts up, but we make do. It isn't perfect, but it is our way of doing things here.