Neha Mankhand

Running things here at 1/71 Netaji Nagar has its ups and downs. Kolkata-92 is a crowded part of town, so there is always the sound of horns and people talking right outside the window. Neha Mankhand is the name we use for all the official stuff. It is not a very big operation. I have got a few wooden tables pushed together and some shelves that are leaning a little to the left because of all the ledgers. The light in the back room flickers sometimes, but I have gotten used to it. Most days involve a lot of phone calls and typing while the radio plays in the background. I try to keep the place organized, but papers seem to pile up no matter what I do. The tea man comes by twice a day, and that is usually when we take a break to breathe. The floor is made of old red oxide that stays cool even when the sun is beating down on the street. Neighbors walk past and wave through the open door. It is the kind of place where you know the postman’s name and he knows exactly where to leave the mail. We do not do anything flashy here. It is just steady work and making sure the bills are paid. It might look a bit messy to an outsider, but we know where everything is. This is just how we work.