Boda Venkata Ratnam Cement Traders

Our place is right on the Godavari Bund at door number 7-7-8. Being so close to the river means we get a bit of a breeze, which is nice when we are moving heavy bags of cement around. It gets quite humid here, especially during the monsoon months. The shop is basically a big storage area with a small desk for writing out receipts. Boda Venkata Ratnam started this trading business because there was always a need for building materials in this part of town. We spend a lot of time talking to local contractors and people just trying to fix up their own houses. The floor is usually covered in a thin layer of grey dust, no matter how much we sweep it. It’s just the nature of dealing with cement. We keep regular hours, opening up when the sun is up and closing when it gets dark. Most of the regulars know us by name, and we know exactly what they need before they even ask. It’s not a complicated setup. We just keep the stock piled up and wait for the lorries to arrive for unloading. Sometimes the traffic along the bund gets backed up, making it hard for the delivery trucks to pull in, but we make it work somehow. It’s a plain, honest way to make a living here by the water.