Shantilal C. Mehta

Down here at Sagar Vihar Building 45, the air usually smells a bit like the sea since we are right by Kulpati Munshi Cowpatty in Mumbai. Shantilal C. Mehta has been operating from this Mumbai address for quite some time. It’s an old building, the kind where you know your neighbors and the lift occasionally has a mind of its own. Inside our office, it’s mostly stacks of ledgers and the sound of a ceiling fan clicking away. We spend our hours going through papers, taking calls, and making sure our accounts are straight. People in this part of Mumbai are always in a rush, but we try to keep a steady pace. Sometimes we step out for a quick tea near the beach when things get too quiet or too hectic. It’s a family-run feel here, even if not everyone is related. We don’t use much of the new-age office lingo; we just talk plainly about what needs doing for the day. Being in such a central spot means we see a lot of foot traffic, and sometimes people just wander in asking for directions. We’ve grown used to the noise of the city outside. It’s home for us. We just keep our heads down and handle the work as it comes, one day after another, without much fuss. The monsoon rains make the building look a bit weathered, but it is sturdy enough for us.