Flower King

Our shop is right in the middle of the chaos at New Cutlery Market in Kalbadevi. Specifically, we’re in the Sutar Chawl Building, number 4. If you’ve ever been to this part of Mumbai, you know how crowded it gets. The streets are narrow and there’s always someone pushing a cart or carrying a heavy load. Being a florist here is a bit different than in the quieter suburbs. We have to make use of every inch of space we have. The building itself is old and has a lot of character, maybe a bit too much sometimes when the rain starts leaking through the gaps. We spend our mornings sorting through what arrives from the bigger markets. It’s a lot of lifting and moving heavy plastic tubs. The floor is usually covered in discarded leaves and bits of wire by ten in the morning. We don't try to look fancy because there’s no point in Kalbadevi. People come here for practical reasons. They need flowers for a wedding in the family or a ceremony at a nearby temple. We just provide what is available. Sometimes the heat makes things wilt faster than we’d like, so we’re always splashing water around to keep things cool. It’s a loud, busy, and sometimes frustrating place to work, but it’s where we’ve always been. We know the other shopkeepers and the tea sellers. It feels like home even with all the noise.