Hans Bags

I run Hans Bags from the second floor of 3495, Gali Bajrang Bali. If you know Chawri Bazar, you know how crowded and narrow the lanes are. Getting up to the second floor is a bit of a climb with rolls of fabric, but we manage. The building is old and the stairs are quite steep. Inside, the space is filled with the sound of sewing machines. It’s a constant hum that I barely notice anymore. We make all sorts of bags here. I spend most of my time cutting patterns or checking the stitching. My glasses are always slipping down my nose because of the sweat. Chawri Bazar is a crazy place, full of life and noise, and we are right in the middle of it. We don't have a showroom. Customers usually come up the stairs and find us amidst the scraps of leather and cloth. It’s messy and disorganized to an outsider, but I know where everything is. My family has been doing this kind of work for a long time. We aren't a big factory, just a small setup with a few skilled hands. Sometimes the power goes out and we have to wait, but that’s just how it is in this part of town. We keep going because there's always work to be done. It’s a tough environment but it’s our home.