Gulzar Optical Co.

You can find us at 2359-60 on Ballimaran Street. If you know this area, you know it's the heart of the optical trade in Delhi. It’s always crowded and full of life, which is just part of being here. We deal with glasses, frames, and lenses every single day. The space is narrow, but somehow we manage to pack everything in. We've been here long enough that the walls feel like they have stories to tell. Most of our work is just helping people find a pair of frames that don't fall off their face or fixing a broken hinge. It’s steady work. We don't use any high-tech systems for everything; a lot of it is still done the way we learned years ago. The street outside is always noisy with rickshaws and people rushing by, but we’re used to the chaos. Sometimes it's hard to find a specific lens in the back, but we usually know exactly which drawer to look in. We’ve seen generations of families come through these doors for their spectacles. It isn’t a fancy showroom with bright lights and mirrors everywhere. It's just a workshop and a counter where we talk to people and get their glasses sorted. It’s honest work and we’re glad to be a part of the Ballimaran community. The tea guy comes by twice a day and that's usually our only break.