Raj Bala

Chandni Chowk is always a whirlwind, and our place at 3362 is tucked away in one of those narrow lanes that everyone knows. Raj Bala has been operating from this spot for quite some time. You can hear the rickshaws and the vendors shouting all day long. It’s the kind of place where you have to watch your step because of the crowds. Inside 3362, things are a bit calmer than the street outside, though not by much. We have stacks of items and papers everywhere, which might look messy to someone else, but we know where everything is. The light in the alley doesn't always reach the back of the shop, so we keep the bulbs on even during the day. It’s an old building with high ceilings and thick walls that stay cool even when Delhi is boiling. We drink a lot of water and sometimes get samosas from the guy downstairs when we are hungry. Working here means being part of the history of the market. People come and go, some looking for specific things and others just lost in the lanes. We don’t have a big staff, just a few of us making sure things move along. It’s a tight space, but it’s ours. We don’t bother with fancy displays or big signs. If you know where 3362 is, you just come in and talk to us directly. It's just a regular shop in the middle of a very old city that never stops moving.