Ritual Hair Cut

We’ve been over here at Sec. 3 in the Pratap Nagar shopping center for quite a while now. It’s a busy spot in Jaipur, especially when the sun is out and people are moving around the market. My name is on the door, and I spend most of my days standing by the chair with a pair of scissors in my hand. Most folks who come in are from right around the neighborhood. They stop by after work or on their way to grab groceries. We don't have fancy lights or anything like that, just a couple of mirrors and some good fans for the summer months. Sometimes the power cuts out, but we make do. It’s a simple setup. I like the routine of it. You see the same faces every few weeks. We talk about the weather, how the local teams are doing, or just what’s for dinner. It’s quiet in the mornings, then picks up once the kids get out of school. I learned this trade from my uncle and haven't really looked at doing anything else. The shop stays open late most nights because that’s when people have time. If you’re walking through the shopping center in Pratap Nagar, you’ll see our sign. It’s nothing big, just a place to get your hair cut and sit for a minute. We keep the floor swept, though the hair piles up fast on Saturdays. That is just how it goes here.