H. G. Parekh

Central Bank Road is one of those streets that always feels like it is in a hurry. H. G. Parekh has been a name on this road for a long time. Our building is nothing special to look at, just a regular brick and mortar structure that has seen a lot of seasons. Inside, it’s mostly shelves and stacks of files. We don’t have any fancy air conditioning, just a few old ceiling fans that creak a bit when they are on the high setting. The noise from the traffic on Central Bank Road is constant. You get used to the sound of horns and the occasional bus braking hard. We spend our mornings going through the mail and checking what needs to be filed. It’s a lot of paperwork, to be honest. We aren't trying to change the world or anything; we just handle our daily tasks and make sure the accounts are right. There’s a small tiffin service that brings us lunch around one o'clock, and we usually eat at our desks. The light in the office is a bit dim in the afternoons, so we have to keep the lamps on. We’ve known the other shopkeepers on this block for decades. We see them every morning when we roll up the shutters. It’s a predictable life, but there is a certain comfort in that. We just keep our heads down and do what needs to be done.