Shankar Engineering Corporation

Operating right on G.T. Road means you never really get any silence. The traffic outside is constant, with trucks and buses rumbling past No. 109 all day long. We’re directly opposite the Gurudwara, so we hear the morning prayers while we’re setting up the shop for the day's tasks. It’s a good spot, even if the dust from the road settles on everything five minutes after we wipe down. We’ve got some heavy machinery in here that’s seen better days, but they still run true if you know how to handle their little quirks. The floor is old concrete and has some deep cracks that we’ve stopped noticing years ago. Most of our day is spent dealing with iron and steel, so the air usually has that heavy metallic tang to it. We don’t have a big reception area or any place for people to sit comfortably. If you come in, you’re likely to walk right into the work zone where the sparks are flying and the noise is loud. We usually have a small radio playing some songs in the back to try and drown out the road noise, but it doesn't always work. The walls are covered in old calendars and lists of measurements scribbled in black marker. It’s a functional space, nothing more. We take the work seriously and handle the heavy stuff that smaller shops won't touch. When the sun sets, the Gurudwara across the way looks nice, and the traffic finally starts to thin out. We pack up our tools and get ready to do it all again tomorrow.