Om Shanti Hair Saloon

The shop has been here in Niphad for a while now. We open up early most days when the street is still quiet and the sun is just coming up over Nashik. There are three chairs inside and a big mirror that we try to keep clean, though hair gets everywhere by noon. Most people come in for a quick trim or a shave before they head off to work or the market. We keep a small radio on the shelf that mostly plays old songs, though sometimes it’s just static if the signal is bad. The floor is tile and it’s seen a lot of feet over the years. We usually have a few people sitting on the bench outside waiting their turn, just chatting about the rain or the price of onions. It gets hot in the afternoon, so the ceiling fan stays on high speed all day. Sometimes we run out of clean towels and have to wait for the wash to dry. It isn't a fancy place with air conditioning or soft music, but it’s where we work. We know most of the people who walk through the door by their first names. If someone wants a specific look, we do what we can with the scissors we have. Usually, the shop closes up when it gets dark and the street lights come on. It’s a simple routine that repeats every day except for maybe a holiday.