Astha Trading Company

Lashkar is a place that never really sleeps, and Dal Bazar is right in the thick of it. Astha Trading Company is based out of Gorri Wallo Ka Bada. If you know the area, you know that these old "badas" are like little communities on their own. Our space is tucked inside one of these traditional compounds. The streets outside are narrow and always full of carts, bikes, and people carrying heavy loads. It is a traditional trading hub, and we have been part of it for a long time. Inside the bada, it feels a bit different from the frantic energy of the main bazaar. The walls are thick and old, which helps keep the heat out during the peak of summer. We do a lot of manual work here, moving goods and checking stock. It is a physical job and our hands are rarely clean. We don't have a lot of high-tech gadgets; we mostly rely on old-fashioned ledger books and knowing our neighbors. Sometimes we sit out front and have tea while the traffic clears up. You meet all kinds of people in Dal Bazar, from old merchants who have been here fifty years to young kids just starting out. It is a messy, loud, and honest way to make a living. We like being in the middle of Lashkar. It is where the real work happens every day without any pretense or polish.