Patvolk

If you walk down Netaji Subhas Road in Kolkata, you'll find us at number 5 and 7. Patvolk has been operating from this area for quite some time now. The building is one of those older ones with high ceilings and thick walls that hold onto the heat in the summer. It’s a very busy street outside, full of people and yellow taxis zooming by. Inside the office, it’s mostly the sound of staplers and people talking about shipping dates. We have a lot of old wooden cupboards filled with files because we still like to keep paper records of everything. The light isn't always the best, but we have enough lamps to see what we are doing. We handle a lot of port-related stuff, so there’s a constant stream of messengers coming in and out with envelopes. It’s not the kind of place with a lobby or a receptionist; you just walk in and find someone at a desk. We spend most of our time on the computer or checking things against the master lists. Sometimes we take a break to watch the rain during the monsoon season. The office feels lived-in, with stains on the desks from tea mugs and stacks of paper everywhere. It’s a bit of a maze sometimes, but we know where everything is. We just focus on getting the daily tasks done and making sure the shipping documents are in order.