Gi Textile

If you walk behind the Liberty Cinema near Girish Park, you’ll find Ramesh Dutta Street. It is one of those old streets that feels like it hasn’t changed in decades. At number 13 B, Gi Textile is squeezed into a space that feels even older. The walls are thick and the ceiling is high, which makes it feel a bit like a cave. We have rolls of cloth stacked almost to the top. I have to use an old wooden ladder to get to the stuff on the upper shelves, and I always worry about it slipping. The floor is made of old stone that has worn down in the middle from years of walking. It is a bit dark inside because the street is so narrow that sunlight doesn't really reach the ground floor. We have a small radio that stays tuned to the local station all day. There is no air conditioning, just a big metal fan that rattles. We deal with a lot of wholesalers who have been coming to this spot since my father was running the place. It is a lot of heavy lifting and counting yards of fabric. The smell of raw cotton and dust is always there. It isn't a place for window shopping; it's a place where work gets done.