Ajay Malik

People usually find us by looking for the Hamdard Dawakhana first because that is the big landmark around here in Lal Kuan. Once you get to that spot, you have to head into Gali Madarsa Meer Jumla. It is one of those typical narrow lanes where two people can barely walk side by side if someone is coming the other way with a cycle. My name is Ajay Malik and this is where I spend most of my day. The shop is at 1683/4. It is not a fancy place, just a regular spot with old walls and a heavy metal shutter that gets stuck sometimes in the monsoon. Inside, it is mostly quiet unless the street outside gets noisy with the rickshaws. I have been sitting here for a long time now. The light inside is a bit dim because the sun doesn't really reach down into these galis, so we keep the bulb on even at noon. You see a lot of different faces passing by the door every day. Some people are looking for medicine at the dawakhana and others are just lost in the maze of Old Delhi. We just do our work here and try to keep things organized on the shelves, though dust always finds its way in somehow. It is a bit cramped but it works for what we need. Most mornings start with a cup of tea from the guy at the corner and then we just get to it.