Manish Kumar Ramesh Chandra

You can find us at 1376B, right near Katra Leshawan in Chandni Chowk. It’s a bit of a squeeze getting through the lanes here, especially with the rickshaws and people everywhere. Manish Kumar Ramesh Chandra has been in this spot for years. The building is old, with high ceilings and walls that could use a new coat of paint. We mostly deal with fabrics and wholesale stuff. It’s a lot of heavy lifting and moving rolls of cloth around. My hands are usually dusty by noon. We don’t have a website or anything like that. People just know where we are. We sit on the floor mostly, on white sheets, talking to traders who come from all over. It’s loud outside but inside it’s just the sound of the calculator and people talking. We drink a lot of tea to stay awake. Sometimes the electricity goes out and we just keep working by the light from the door. It’s a family thing, passed down through the years. We know the other shopkeepers on the street pretty well. We trade stories about the market and the price of things. Chandni Chowk is a tough place to work because it’s so crowded, but it’s where we belong. 1376B is just a small part of this huge maze. We keep the books tidy and try to make sure every customer gets what they asked for. That’s our day. It isn't glamorous but it's our life and we've been doing it a long time now.