Baba Gents Saloon

Baba Gents Saloon is over at Shop No. 3 on St Veronica Road in Bandra West. It is a small place, just enough room for a couple of chairs and a bench for people to wait. Bandra is a busy area, but our street is a little tucked away. We have been here long enough that the locals do not even need to look at the sign anymore. The mirrors are a bit old and have some spots on them, and the clippers make a buzzing sound that I have grown used to over the years. We do simple haircuts and shaves. Nothing too fancy or modern. Most guys just come in and tell me "the usual," and I get to work. We talk about football or the traffic while I use the scissors. It gets quite hot in the afternoons, especially when the sun hits the front of the shop, but the ceiling fan does its best. Sometimes the water pressure isn't great, so we keep a bucket handy for rinsing. It is not a spa or a high-end place. It is just a spot where men can sit down, get their hair cleaned up, and have a bit of a chat before heading back out into the Mumbai humidity. I have seen kids grow up in these chairs, coming in for their first cut and now coming in as adults. It is just a regular life here on St Veronica Road, day in and day out.