Jyoti Ashar

Room number 20 in Building 62 is where you will find us, right inside Varjivan Mansion. It is a busy part of Princess Street in Lohar Chawl, which is always packed with people moving goods and shoppers looking for deals. We are quite close to the Marine Line station and the taxi stand, so there is never a quiet moment outside. Jyoti Ashar is the name on the door, but to us, it’s just the office where we spend most of our waking hours. The building has that old Mumbai charm, with high ceilings and walls that have seen a lot of history. We have a lot of paperwork scattered around because that is just the nature of our work. Every morning, we climb the stairs and unlock the heavy door to start the day. The sound of the traffic and the shouting from the market downstairs is like background music to us now. We don't have a receptionist or a waiting lounge; it’s just a practical work area. Sometimes the electricity flickers when the monsoon hits hard, but we carry on anyway. We know most of the neighbors in the building, and we often share a quick word in the hallway. It’s a simple existence, focused on getting things right for the people who walk through our door. We’ve been here long enough that we don’t really notice the chaos anymore, it’s just home. We always keep a spare umbrella by the door because the Mumbai weather is so unpredictable.