Bhojaram Premlal Bhatia

Bhojaram Premlal Bhatia is tucked away in the Surajpole Mandi at spot C-13. If you have ever been to the Mandi, you know how chaotic it gets when the trucks start arriving at four in the morning. Everything is about moving goods as fast as possible before the sun gets too high. Our space is basically a big open stall with high ceilings where we keep everything organized. It gets quite dusty because of all the vehicles moving through the dirt lot outside. We have a small desk in the corner where the accounts get done, usually under a dim bulb that flickers sometimes. People come by and sit on the plastic chairs to talk shop or just to complain about the weather. It is a very practical way of living. We don't use any fancy computer systems for everything; a lot of it is still written down in thick registers with red covers. The smell of the market is everywhere, a mix of dry sacks and exhaust fumes. It is a rough and tumble kind of place, but it is honest work. We don't put on any acts here. If the shutters are up, we are working. If they are down, we have gone home to rest for the next early morning. C-13 isn't much to look at from the outside, but it is where everything happens for the Bhatia family business.