Varawala & Arif

If you know the Fort area, you know how these old buildings are. Varawala & Arif is tucked away on the third floor of Rahimtoola House on Homji Street. It’s a classic Mumbai spot. The stairs are a bit steep, and the building has that specific smell of old paper and wood. We’ve been operating out of this space for a while. It isn't a modern high-rise with elevators that talk to you. Instead, it’s a place where we actually do the work. The office is usually full of files and folders. We spend most of our hours here dealing with the day-to-day stuff that comes across our desks. Fort is a great place to be because everything is so close, but the traffic can be a real headache in the afternoons. Inside the office, it's pretty quiet compared to the street outside. There are a few of us here, mostly just focused on our computers or talking on the phone. We don't have a fancy reception area or anything like that. If someone comes in, one of us just looks up and says hello. We like the history of this neighborhood. It feels right for a firm like ours. We just keep our heads down and handle whatever needs doing. It’s a busy life but we are used to it by now. The windows let in some light, but mostly we rely on the overhead lamps to see what we are reading.