Manish Padhya

I’m up on the fourth floor of Ankur Appt, right near Gandhi Chowk in Katargam. It’s a busy area of Surat, and being at 402 gives me a decent view of the street below. Katargam is always buzzing, and the chowk is like the heart of it all. The apartment is where I handle all my professional stuff. It’s not a big commercial building, just a regular residential block where some of us have set up our offices. The stairs can be a bit of a climb if the lift is acting up, which happens now and then. Inside, the place is quite simple. I’ve got my computer, a printer that jams occasionally, and stacks of folders that I really need to organize better one of these days. I like the light that comes in through the window in the afternoon. Most of my day is spent on the phone or working through files. It’s not glamorous, but it’s what I do. People from the neighborhood know the building well, so it’s easy to give directions. I’ve lived in Gujarat my whole life and being here in Katargam feels right. I don't have a big team, just a couple of people who help out when things get really busy. We grab tea from the stall downstairs and just keep at it until the work is finished. It’s a straightforward way to live and work without any big complications.