S M Autolack

The shop, S M Autolack, is located over in Laxmi Wadi at Shop No 2/256. It’s a bit of a tight squeeze sometimes with all the cars and the paint cans, but it’s where we get everything done. We are right opposite St Ignasius Church, which makes it simple for people to find us if they haven’t been to this part of S T Mahalaxmi before. You can usually hear the church bells during the day, which is a nice break from the sound of the traffic. The shelves are packed with different shades of paint and rolls of tape. It smells like lacquer and thinners most of the time, but you get used to that after a few days. The floor is stained with spills from over the years, showing just how much work has happened in this small space. We take our tea breaks out front when the weather isn’t too hot. Mahalaxmi is always moving, so there’s plenty to watch on the street while we wait for things to dry. It’s a very basic shop, nothing fancy about the walls or the ceiling. We keep our tools in the back and the main work happens right there in the front. No big marketing posters or flashing lights here, just the name on the board above the door. We’ve been in this same spot for years and the neighbors in Laxmi Wadi know us well. It’s a straightforward business and we like it that way.