Manish Metal

Located in Chinchwad 1, the shop is mostly full of heavy items that make a lot of noise when they are moved. We deal with various metal things like pipes and sheets. The floor is concrete and has some cracks here and there from dropping heavy stuff over the years. It’s not a fancy place by any means. There’s usually a thin layer of grease on most surfaces. We spend a lot of time measuring things out and cutting them to the right size for people who come in. The big cutter machine has a specific smell when it gets hot. Customers are mostly local workers or guys doing home repairs who need a specific piece of metal. We don’t have a big sign out front, just the name painted on the wall. The sunlight comes in through the front door and hits the stacks of aluminum. In the monsoon, the dampness makes everything feel a bit heavier. We keep a small radio on a shelf that mostly plays old songs, though the reception isn't great because of all the metal around. It’s a lot of physical work, lifting and shifting piles from one side to the other. Sometimes the stock takes up so much room that there’s barely a path to the back desk. We just get on with it every day, making sure the orders are ready when people come to pick them up. It is a loud and dusty place, but it is where we work.