Radiance

Down here at 130 BT Road, near the ISI area, things are always moving. Our shop, Radiance, is just a part of the daily life around here in Kolkata. We open up the shutters every day and get the mirrors wiped down first thing. It's a straightforward place where people from the local neighborhood come when they need to get their hair done or something like that. The street outside is always noisy with buses and cars, but inside we try to keep things moving smoothly. We don’t have any big posters or loud music, just a place to sit and get the work done. Some days it is really quiet and we just sit and talk, and other days there is a line out the door and we barely have time for tea. The staff knows the neighborhood well. We see the same faces every few weeks. It is funny how you get to know people just by how their hair grows or what they talk about while sitting in the chair. We aren’t trying to be the biggest place in Kolkata, just a place on this stretch of BT Road. We keep the tools ready and the towels clean. That is about it, really. People stop by on their way home from work or on a Saturday morning when they have a bit of time. It works for us and it works for them. We stay open as long as there is work to do.