Nandlal Saree

We’ve been here in Nai Sarak for quite some time now. Chandni Chowk is always crowded, you know how it is. People walking by, the smell of food, and just the general noise of the market. Our shop, Nandlal Saree, is right in the middle of all that. It’s a small place, packed with stacks of fabric everywhere. Sometimes it feels like there isn't enough room for the people and the clothes at the same time. We spend most of our mornings unpacking new stock and trying to keep things somewhat organized, though that’s easier said than done. Customers come in looking for something specific for a wedding or a party, and we just start pulling things off the shelves. It gets messy. We have some regular folks who have been coming to us for years, and they usually know where to sit while we bring out the different colors. It's not a fancy showroom with air conditioning that works all the time, but we keep the fans going. The lights are bright so you can see the thread work clearly. Most days are long, starting early before the heat gets too bad and staying until the shutters go down late. We drink a lot of tea while we work. If you find yourself in this part of Delhi, you’ll see our sign. It's nothing special, just a place where we sell sarees and talk to the neighbors.