John Beauty Palace

Our shop is inside the Ameen Complex on Victoria Street. We are down in the basement at shop number 5 and 6. This part of Lucknow, near Akhbari Gate, is always very crowded and full of life. It’s an old area with narrow streets and lots of shops. Our place is called John Beauty Palace, but don't let the name fool you, it’s a very simple and very plain space. We have a couple of rooms that we’ve filled with chairs and mirrors. The basement stays relatively cool even when the sun is beating down on Victoria Street. We do a bit of everything, from hair styling to skin work. We have a lot of different bottles and jars on the shelves, mostly things we’ve found that work well for our customers. The lighting isn't the best because we are underground, so we use several lamps to make sure we can see what we are doing. It’s often noisy with the sound of the fans and people talking. We don't have a receptionist; you just walk in and wait for your turn. We’ve been here for a while and most of the people who come in are from the neighborhood. They know where we are and what we do. It’s a busy life, especially during the festive seasons when everyone wants to look their best. We just keep our heads down and do the work the best we can.