Alam The Unisex Beauty Saloon

We are set up at number 156 in Pitampura, right near the State Bank of India ATM. It’s a good landmark because everyone knows where the ATM is. Delhi traffic is always something else, and you can hear the horns honking from the street all day long. The shop itself is a fairly standard space. We have the big mirrors lined up on one wall and the washing stations tucked into the back corner. The tiles on the floor are a bit worn down in front of the chairs where we stand the most. We spend most of our time chatting with whoever is in the chair. It’s mostly local people from the neighborhood who stop by. We have a small bench near the door for people to sit while they wait their turn. There’s usually a stack of newspapers there, mostly from yesterday. In the summer, we keep the air conditioner running as much as we can, though it makes a bit of a rattling noise. We don’t have a fancy reception desk; we usually just settle everything at the small counter by the door. It’s a simple business, and we’ve been here long enough that we know most of the people who walk through the door by name. We just try to get through the day’s appointments and keep the place tidy. Sometimes the water heater takes a few minutes to kick in, but that's just part of the routine here.