Phool Chand Jain & Sons.

If you come down to X-19 in Loha Mandi Naraina, you’ll find our spot. It’s a noisy place, being an iron market and all. Trucks are always backing up and there’s the sound of metal hitting metal. Phool Chand Jain & Sons has been part of this for a while. My father used to say the dust here never really settles. We have a small office tucked away where we handle the orders. It’s crowded with files and ledger books. We don’t have any of those shiny glass walls you see in the new parts of town. Just old wooden chairs and a ceiling fan that clicks. The tea guy comes around twice a day, which is when we usually take a break. Most of our neighbors have been here as long as we have. We talk about the prices of iron and how the roads are getting worse. It’s not a glamorous life, but it’s ours. We know the regulars by name and they know we aren't going anywhere. Sometimes the power goes out in the afternoon, so we just sit outside and wait for it to come back. It gives us a chance to see who’s passing by while we drink some water. We handle the business the way we always have, one day at a time. It’s honest work and it keeps us busy. We like the routine and the familiar faces in the market.