Panjabi Jilani Silk Emporium

Our shop is the Panjabi Jilani Silk Emporium, and we are located in the Rang Talab area of Rajanagar. It’s a neighborhood where everyone seems to know everyone else. The shop itself is full of bright colors because of all the silk rolls we keep on the shelves. Rang Talab can be a very dusty place, so we spend a lot of time cleaning the glass cases and making sure the fabric stays clean. We don’t have air conditioning, just a couple of big ceiling fans that move the hot air around during the afternoons. When customers come in, we roll out the mats on the floor so they can sit and look at the silk properly. It’s a slow process sometimes, choosing just the right shade or pattern, but we don’t mind. Outside the door, you can hear the sounds of Rajanagar—the goats, the motorbikes, and kids playing in the street. We’ve been at this same spot in Rang Talab for years, and the walls are covered with old photos and calendars that have been there forever. There is a small back room where we keep the extra stock and where we take our breaks. It’s a very traditional way of doing things, and we like the rhythm of the neighborhood. By the time we close up, the streetlights are usually flickering on and the air finally starts to cool down.