Ajay Hardware

You’ll find us right there near the SBI ATM on Arya Samaj Road. Chhata is a busy spot, and being on the corner of Kotwali Road means there is always someone passing by. Our shop is packed from floor to ceiling with hardware. We have bins of nails, rows of tools, and buckets of paint everywhere you look. It’s a bit cramped, honestly, but we know where everything is tucked away. If you need a specific bolt, we usually have to dig through a few drawers to find it. The street outside is always noisy with bikes and people shouting, but we’re used to it by now. We open up early because the workers like to get their supplies before starting their shift. Most of our day is spent measuring things or cutting keys. It’s not a glamorous job. Your hands get dirty and the smell of oil and metal is always in the air. We don't have a website or anything like that; we just talk to the people who walk through the door. Sometimes the power goes out and we have to use flashlights to find what a customer needs. It’s a local shop for local needs. We’ve seen the neighborhood change a lot over the years, but the hardware business stays pretty much the same. You just give people what they need to fix their houses and send them on their way. We try to keep the coffee pot going in the back for when things get slow and we have a minute to sit down.