Minaxi Mables & Granites

Being right on the service road of the Western Express Highway means there is never a quiet moment. We’re across from Axis Bank in Vile Parle East. The dust from the highway is something we just live with. Every morning we have to wipe down the granite slabs so people can see the polish. It’s a narrow shop, but it goes back a long way. People often pull their cars over because they see our sign while stuck in traffic. It’s a bit of a squeeze getting the big trucks in and out of this spot, but we’ve done it so many times now it’s like second nature. The noise of the cars and bikes is just the background to our day. We sell a lot of marble to people doing up their flats in the suburbs. It’s not a glitzy showroom with air conditioning and coffee. It’s just a place with a lot of stone and some guys who know how to cut it. We spend our time checking for cracks and making sure the edges are straight. Vile Parle is a busy part of Mumbai, and we’re right in the thick of it. Sometimes customers stay for five minutes, sometimes they stay for two hours trying to decide between black or grey granite. We just let them take their time. It’s a big decision for a home, I guess. We try to keep things moving as best as we can.