S. K. Gupta & Co.

Working at 81 Gulal Wadi, on Kika Street, means you get used to the noise and the narrow lanes very quickly. S. K. Gupta & Co. is located in a spot where there’s always something being loaded or unloaded right outside the door. Our office is small, and we’ve filled every inch of it with desks and filing cabinets. We do a lot of work with metal and hardware stuff, so there’s always a bit of iron dust or the smell of oil in the air. We start the day by checking the messages left from the evening before. Most of our clients are regulars who have been coming to us for years. We don’t spend money on advertising or fancy signs. The name is just painted on the wall. We spend a lot of time on the phone, arguing with suppliers or checking on where a truck has gotten stuck. It gets very hot in the afternoons, and the old ceiling fan just moves the warm air around, but we’re used to it. We drink tea in small glass tumblers and talk about the price of goods. Sometimes the rain leaks in a bit near the window, so we have to move the papers. It’s a basic operation, really. Just people doing their jobs, trying to keep the orders moving and the customers happy enough to come back next time they need supplies.