Shivam Automotives

Every morning starts with pulling up the heavy metal shutters here at 7/1182 on Hari Singh Nalwa Street. It’s usually pretty dusty in this part of Karol Bagh before the street cleaners or the water trucks come by. Shivam Automotives isn't a fancy place with glass windows or air conditioning that actually works all day. We mostly just have rows of shelves that go all the way to the ceiling. If you look at the walls, you can see where the paint has chipped away over the years. Some days are just about moving boxes from one corner to the other so we can find what we need. The tea stall guy knows exactly when we need a break around eleven. It gets loud out there with all the rickshaws and people shouting, but that’s just how Karol Bagh is. We spend a lot of time just checking lists and making sure the inventory matches the handwritten notes on the desk. Sometimes the electricity goes out and we just sit near the door to get some light. It isn't a complicated setup, just a lot of metal parts and greasy floors. Most of the guys who work here have been around this street for a long time. We know which floorboards creak and where the roof might leak if it rains too hard. It’s just a regular workplace where things get done between the noise and the heat.