Sachin Saitawdekar

Sachin Saitawdekar stays and works out of Borichi Chawl in Fanaswadi. It is a busy part of Mumbai with the pincode 400002. Being on the first floor in Room 74 means there are always people walking past the door. The stairs are narrow and a bit steep, which is common for these old chawl buildings. Downstairs on Kapreshwar Lane, the shops sell all sorts of things and the air smells like incense and street food. It gets very loud during festivals because the temple is nearby. We do not have a big lobby or a receptionist. It is just a room where work happens. Most of the furniture is old wood that has survived many summers. The light comes in from a small window that faces the internal courtyard. You can hear the neighbors talking and the sound of buckets being filled in the morning. It is a very tight-knit area where everyone knows who is coming and going. Sometimes the mail gets mixed up because the addresses in these lanes are confusing for new delivery boys. We just pass the letters over the balcony. It is not a modern office building with glass walls, but it has everything needed to get through the daily tasks. The fan makes a clicking sound on high speed, but we have gotten used to it over the years.