Hems Beauty Parlour

Tondiarpet is a bit crowded. Kummalamman Koil Street has lots of people walking by all day. We keep the doors open mostly. The shop isn't very big but it works for us. I usually get here around nine in the morning. First thing is to sweep the floor and get the water ready. It gets quite hot in Chennai, so the fan is always running on high speed. People from the nearby houses come in for a quick trim or just to talk. It’s a simple setup at number 73. Sometimes the electricity goes out and we just sit outside for a bit. The chairs are old but comfortable enough. We've seen kids grow up in this neighborhood. The tea shop across the street brings us tea twice a day. You can hear the temple bells from here too. It's just a regular place where people get their hair done. Nothing fancy or complicated. Most of the regulars know us by name and we know their families. It’s been like this for years now. The walls could use some paint, maybe next year. For now, we just focus on the work. Dealing with the dust from the street is a constant thing. We keep a few magazines on the table but they’re usually old ones. We don't have a big staff, just me and my cousin mostly, and we take turns taking breaks. It's a busy life but we are used to the rhythm of this street.