Abdul Karim Bags House

The shop is right here at No. 157 on Narasingha Dutta Road, not too far from the Maidan area. It’s been here for a while now. We mostly deal with all kinds of bags, from the small ones people use for market days to the bigger ones for travel. When you walk in, you’ll see rows of them hanging from the ceiling and stacked on the wooden benches we’ve had since the beginning. The floor is usually a bit dusty because of the road outside, but we try to keep things organized. Usually, there’s a few of us here just moving things around or helping someone find a specific zipper or a strap that won't break after two days. Sometimes the tea man comes by and we take a break on the front step. It gets quite loud with the traffic passing by, but that’s just how it is in this part of town. Most days are just about checking the inventory and making sure the stitching on the newer stock looks okay. It isn't a fancy showroom with bright lights. It’s just a place where we keep the bags and wait for people to come in. We know most of the regulars by face. If a bag needs a quick fix, we sometimes do that too if we have the tools handy. It’s a simple business, really. We open up in the morning, sweep the front, and get to work.