Arvind Prakashan

Being in Gali Dhamani Market means there is never a quiet moment. Arvind Prakashan is right in the thick of it near Chaura Rasta. We deal with books and publishing, so there are always stacks of paper everywhere you look. It’s a bit of a maze inside. I’ve lived around here my whole life, and taking over the business felt like the natural thing to do. We don’t have a fancy showroom. It’s more of a warehouse feel where we keep everything organized the best we can. Sometimes a customer comes in looking for something specific, and it takes us a minute to dig it out from the back piles. The market is always crowded, so getting things in and out can be a struggle, especially on the weekends. We mostly just focus on our own work and try to keep up with the orders. The walls are covered in old posters and calendars from years ago. We still use an old landline phone that rings loud enough to wake the dead. It’s a simple setup. We don't spend money on big signs or anything like that. People find us because they’ve been coming here for years, or their fathers did. It’s a small operation, just a few of us making sure the books get out to the shops that need them. The afternoon tea break is the only time things actually slow down around here before we get back to the stacks.