Ashok Hair Dressing Saloon

Ashok Hair Dressing Saloon is located over in Dadar West on RR Road. If you know Mumbai, you know how hectic this area can get, especially during the peak hours. Our shop is a little escape from all that noise, even though you can still hear the buses and taxis honking outside. It’s an old-fashioned sort of place. We have the heavy leather chairs that lean back for a shave, and the mirrors are tall and go all the way to the ceiling. I took over from my father, and not much has changed since his time. We still use the same kind of straight razors and warm towels. The floor is a bit uneven in the corner, but nobody seems to mind. People come here to talk about the cricket scores or just to sit quietly for twenty minutes while we work. We don't have any fancy music playing, just a small radio tuned to the local station. The tea stall guy brings us a few cutting chais every morning and afternoon. It’s a tight-knit community on RR Road, and we know most of the shopkeepers nearby. When the monsoon hits, we have to put a piece of wood at the bottom of the door to keep the water out. It’s just part of being in this part of town. We stay open late most nights because that's when the office workers are heading home.