Yasmin Ali Shaikh

This is the place where Yasmin Ali Shaikh works from. The address is 4 M A Marg in Shende Wasti, which is on Gopalwadi Road. The house is called Dastagir House. It is a residential area, so it’s not like a big commercial office with a sign out front. It is more of a home-based setup where the daily business happens. There is a lot of coming and going in the house. We have a small area set aside with a table and a cupboard for all the files and important papers. Outside, Gopalwadi Road is usually busy with people going to work or the market. Dastagir House is an older building, and you can see the character in the walls and the windows. We don't have a receptionist or anything like that. If someone needs to see us, they just come to the door. We spend a lot of time on the phone or working on the computer. Sometimes the neighbor’s cat comes in and sits on the chair. It is a quiet way of working compared to the big offices in the city. We handle everything ourselves, from the cleaning to the actual work. It feels more personal this way, even if it’s a bit unorganized at times with papers spread out on the dining table. It is just a local business run out of a family house where we do our best to stay on top of things.