Mohammed Javed Sofawala

I’m Mohammed Javed, and my shop is over in Andheri West. You’ll find me at Shop No 14, in Building B, near the Green Tower. I’ve been working on sofas for a long time now. It’s what I know. The shop is usually full of stuff—rolls of fabric, pieces of foam, and old sofa frames that people have brought in for me to fix up. It’s not a clean, shiny showroom. There’s sawdust on the floor and scraps of cloth everywhere, but that’s how a real workshop should be. I spend most of my day on my feet, measuring things out or using the heavy stapler to get the fabric just right. The area around Green Tower is quite busy, so there’s always a lot of noise from the road. People stop by to ask for quotes or to see if I can repair a cushion that their cat ripped up. I don't have any big slogans or anything. I just take the furniture, do the work, and give it back when it’s done. My hands are usually a bit rough from the work, and the shop can get pretty hot in the afternoons, but I’ve got a small fan that helps. It’s a simple life, just making sure people have a comfortable place to sit in their homes. If you walk past Building B, you’ll probably see me out front moving a heavy chair.