Dwarka Nath Bansal & Co.

Our place is at 3639/A in Chawri Bazar which is one of the oldest parts of the city. You can feel the history in the narrow lanes and the old buildings around us. We have been here for a long time and the shop has a lot of character. It’s usually very crowded outside with laborers and carts moving goods back and forth. Inside we have large ledgers and stacks of paper because that’s how we have always done things. It’s not a modern office with glass walls but it works for us. We spend the day talking to customers who have been coming to us for years. The walls are a bit faded and the ceiling is high. We have a few old fans that creak while they spin. It gets very dusty during the dry months so we are always wiping down the counters. Most of our work involves heavy lifting and keeping track of the materials we sell. We know the neighbors well and often share a cup of tea in the afternoon while the sun is high. It’s a busy life in the bazaar but we wouldn't have it any other way. We just keep doing what we do and try to stay on top of the daily tasks. Sometimes the traffic in the lane gets so bad that nothing moves for an hour but we just wait it out. It is part of being in Chawri Bazar.