Indian Railways

At 8-B Birpara Lane, things usually get moving quite early. It is a typical Kolkata spot where you can hear the city waking up long before you actually get to your desk. Indian Railways has been here for a while and the building has that lived-in feel you only get from years of daily use. We spend our days mostly pushing papers and handling the logistics that keep the trains running across the state. It is not a fancy setup, but it works for us. The windows are often left open to let in a bit of air, though you mostly just get the noise from the street outside. People come and go all day. Some are looking for information while others are just passing through. We have a small crew here and everyone knows each other’s lunch habits. Usually, someone brings extra sweets to share around four o'clock. It gets sticky during the monsoon months and the walls show the signs of many rainy seasons. We don't have a lot of new furniture or high-tech gadgets, just the basics like old wooden desks and fans that hum a bit too loud. It is just a normal office where we do our part for the tracks and the passengers. You find a lot of files stacked up and the smell of old paper is everywhere. It’s just how things are here in this corner of Kolkata 700 030.