New Prince Gents Parlour

It’s usually pretty loud around Bairasia Road by the time we open up New Prince Gents Parlour in the mornings. Being right across from the P and T colony and Qazi Camp means there is always someone walking past or looking for a quick trim before work. The chairs have seen better days but they are comfortable enough for a twenty-minute haircut or a shave. We keep the mirrors clean and the fans going all day because Bhopal gets quite hot in the summer months. Most of the guys who come in have been regulars for years now. They don't really need to tell us what they want anymore because we just know. It is a simple setup here with just the basic stuff you’d expect in a local shop. Sometimes the news is playing on the small TV in the corner or there is just the sound of the scissors and someone talking about the cricket score. We spend a lot of time sweeping up hair from the floor between customers. On Sundays, it gets really crowded and people just wait on the bench outside or lean against the wall chatting. It is just how things go around here. We don't have fancy lights or anything like that, just some good razors and enough tea to get through the afternoon shift. It’s a busy life but it keeps us going and we know most of the faces in the neighborhood by now.