Mohd Iqbal Bhai

Mandia Road is always busy, and that’s where you’ll find me most days. I’ve been set up here for a while now. It’s not a large operation, just a small space where I spend my hours working on whatever comes through the door. People around here just call me Iqbal Bhai. My shop doesn't have a big sign or anything flashy. You just look for the place with the most scrap or material piled up near the entrance. I usually start quite early before the sun gets too strong. The traffic on Mandia Road starts humming by seven, and that’s when I get my first cup of tea from the stall nearby. I don’t use complicated machines. Most of what I do is done by hand with the same old tools I’ve had since I started. It takes longer that way, but it feels right to me. Some days are slow, and I just sit on the stool and watch the trucks go by. Other days, I’m working until well after dark. There is always something to fix or make. I don’t have a secretary to answer phones, so if I’m busy, you might have to wait a minute. That is just how it is here. It’s a simple life on a busy road, and I’m happy with it. Most of the people who come by have been coming for years and they know the way I work.