Body Garaz

Down here in Dharavi, things are always moving. We are at Shop No 13 in the Subhas Chandra Bose building. It is right on the Sion Bandra Link Road. If you know where the ONGC 11 High building is, we are just across from it. Body Garaz is where we spend the bulk of our time. It is a gym, but it feels more like a place where neighbors meet up to stay in shape. The space is not very big, but we have managed to fit in all the essential weights and machines. It gets quite hot and humid, like everywhere else in Mumbai, so the ceiling fans are always spinning at full speed. We open the doors pretty early so people can get their workout done before they head off to their jobs. Then it gets a bit quieter during the middle of the day until the evening rush starts. You will hear the sound of weights clanking and whatever music is playing on the small speakers we have. We do not have fancy things like air conditioning or a juice bar. It is just a straightforward place to train. Most of the people who live in the society or nearby know us well. We see the same faces every morning and evening. It has become a bit of a community. Sometimes we just stand around and talk about the local news between sets. It is loud and busy, but it is real.