Kamlesh Steels

If you know Hill Street in Ranigunj, you know how tight the lanes can get. Kamlesh Steels is right there at 5-1-519/3, and it’s been our home for a long time. The traffic outside is constant, mostly rickshaws and delivery vans trying to squeeze past each other. Inside, it’s a different world of metal and ledgers. We don’t spend much on decorations because the steel takes up all the room anyway. Most of our day is spent on the phone or talking to people who walk in from the street. It gets pretty loud with the cutting saws running nearby, so you have to shout a bit sometimes. Lunch is usually eaten quick at the back desk between customers. We know most of the other shop owners around here, so there’s always someone to grab a chai with if it gets quiet. The monsoon is always a bit of a worry with the old roof, but we manage to keep the stock dry. It’s a busy spot, and there’s never a dull moment when the big trucks try to unload at night. We just focus on getting the right pieces to the people who need them. It’s been this way for years, and we don’t see it changing much. Just regular people doing a regular job in a very crowded part of town. Sometimes the electric goes out and we just sit by the door until it comes back. It is what it is.