Sharma Zari

Our shop is at No. 2223 in Kinari Bazar. If you know the area, you know it's where all the trimmings and zari work happen. We've been here for years. It's a small spot, honestly. We mostly deal with zari borders, laces, and all the little bits that go onto a dress to make it look finished. My brother and I manage the counter. It's a lot of manual work, checking the threads and making sure the gold and silver bits don't look dull. Kinari Bazar is always noisy with people carrying bundles and rickshaws trying to squeeze through. We open early because the artisans like to get their supplies before the main crowd hits. The shelves are packed right up to the ceiling. Sometimes I can't even find a specific roll of lace without a ladder. It’s dusty work, but we like it. We aren't trying to be the biggest shop. We just want to make sure the stuff we sell is what people actually need for their tailoring. Customers come from all over, some just for a meter of ribbon, some for whole rolls. We treat them the same. Usually, there's a pot of tea going. We talk about the weather or the price of materials. It’s just a normal shop in a very old part of town. No fancy signs. Just Sharma Zari. We’ve been here so long we feel part of the brickwork of the street itself.