A. K. M. Patharia

If you walk down Abdul Rehman Street, you’ll find us at number 288. It’s one of those parts of Mumbai that never really sleeps. A. K. M. Patharia has been here for years, right in the middle of all the hardware and tool shops. The street is narrow, the crowds are thick, and there’s always someone shouting for a cart to move. Our shop is packed from floor to ceiling. To be honest, if you’re looking for something specific, you might have to wait a second while we find which shelf it’s on. We don’t have a fancy website or a glossy brochure. We just have our shop and the stock we’ve kept for decades. People come here because they know we usually have that one part they can’t find anywhere else. It’s a family-run kind of feel, even on the days when we’re too busy to even grab a tea. We’ve seen the same customers for years—carpenters, plumbers, and hobbyists who just need a few things. It’s noisy and dusty, but it’s our home. We don't spend money on big ads; we just try to be fair with people who walk through the door. It’s an old-school way of doing business, but in a place like Abdul Rehman Street, it’s the only way that really makes sense to us and our neighbors who work nearby.