Agarwal Printers

Agarwal Printers has been in Mohalla Bhatan for as long as I can remember. We are right near the Jama Masjid, so the area is always full of life and the sound of people moving about. The smell of ink is the first thing you notice when you walk into our shop. It’s a smell I’ve grown to love over the years. We have a couple of old printing presses that have seen better days, but they still run smooth if you know how to talk to them. We do wedding cards, flyers, and whatever else people need printed on paper. It’s a family thing, really. My uncle started it, and now we all help out when a big order comes in. The shop is small and a bit dark, but we have some good lights over the tables where we check the proofs. Sometimes the ink gets on everything—my clothes, the floor, even the tea mugs—but that’s just part of the trade. We aren't some big digital agency. We just like the feel of paper and the way a finished stack looks when it's all cut and ready. Living and working so close to the Masjid means we see the whole community every day. It’s a good life, even if the work is sometimes repetitive and the noise of the machines is constant. We just keep printing and hope the paper doesn't jam too often.