Mateshwari Cloth Emporium

Mateshwari Cloth Emporium is my shop on Khai Road in the Nayapura area. It’s a quiet street compared to the main markets, but we still get plenty of visitors. I deal mostly in fabric for men’s shirts and trousers. The shop is tucked into an older building, so the ceiling is a bit low and the lighting isn't the best. I have to take the fabric out to the front door sometimes so customers can see the real color in the sunlight. I’ve been working with cloth for a long time and I can tell the quality just by feeling it. I don't have any fancy certificates or training. I just learned it by doing the work every day. The counters are made of dark wood and they are quite heavy. I keep all my scissors and measuring tapes in a small drawer that always gets stuck. It’s a bit of a struggle to open it, but I’m used to it. I don't have a big team of people working for me. It’s just me and a helper who comes in the afternoons. We don't have a computer for bills, so I just use a carbon paper book to make receipts. It’s an old-fashioned way of doing things, but it works fine. I like the people who live around Nayapura. They are honest and hardworking, just like me. We just try to provide what they need without any fuss or complicated sales talk.