Way Bags

Way Bags is tucked into number 15 at Vardhaman Garden in Trombay. It’s a relatively quiet area compared to the middle of the city, which we like. We have a small workspace where we do everything from scratch. It’s mostly just a few of us who have been friends for a long time. We don't have any fancy titles or a corporate structure. One day I’m cutting fabric, and the next day I’m fixing the door handle. That’s just how it goes when you run a small shop. The Vardhaman Garden area is a nice spot to be, and we often see the same faces walking by every morning. Our workroom is filled with the sound of the radio and the clatter of the machines. We keep a big pot of water in the corner because it gets stuffy inside. We have bags in all stages of being finished—some just have the straps on, others are waiting for the lining. We don't have a big sign out front, just the address and our name. It’s not about being the biggest shop in Trombay; it’s just about having a place to work and make something useful. Sometimes we stay late when a machine breaks down and we have to fix it ourselves. It’s a lot of manual labor, but we’re used to it by now. We just try to keep things moving along one day at a time.