A. S. Attarwala & Sons

We are located at 203 Abdul Rehman Street, right on the first floor. This street is one of the busiest spots in Mumbai, and it has been that way for as long as I can remember. You have to climb a narrow set of stairs to get up to our place. Once you’re inside, the smell of perfumes and oils is very strong. A. S. Attarwala & Sons has been around for a long time, and we still do things in an old-fashioned way. We have hundreds of glass bottles lined up on wooden shelves. Some are small and delicate, while others are large jars. We spend our time mixing scents and filling orders for people who want traditional attars. It’s a slow process because you have to be careful with the drops. The office part of our shop is just a small corner with an old desk and a telephone that rings constantly. We don’t use much technology here, mostly just our noses and our hands. The windows look out onto the street, and we can hear the vendors calling out their prices all day long. Sometimes the heat in the afternoon makes the scents even heavier. We have a few assistants who help with the bottling and the packing. We don’t do any big advertising. Most of our customers come because their fathers or grandfathers bought from us. It’s just a family trade that we keep going.