Radhe Shyam Mobiles

At Bharthana Asharam Road 111, the shop is tucked in between a few other small businesses. Radhe Shyam Mobiles is what the sign says. We open the doors pretty early to catch the people heading to work. The street outside is usually full of people and the sound of horns. Inside, the air smells a bit like electronics and the cleaning spray we use on the screens. We have a lot of tools spread out on the workbench in the back. There are tiny screwdrivers, magnifying glasses, and those little blue plastic things to pry open phone cases. Sometimes a phone comes in that's been dropped in water, and we have to tell the person it might not turn back on. It’s hard to give bad news like that. We have a shelf full of different boxes for various phone models that we’ve collected over the months. The floor is a dark color which is good because it doesn't show the scuff marks from everyone's shoes. We keep a bottle of water under the counter because it gets dry talking to people all day. Most customers are locals who live just a few streets away. They know our names and we know which phone they carry. It’s just a basic shop where we try to keep things running for everyone who stops by. We also have a small stack of newspapers by the door that people can look at while they wait. It’s a quiet way to pass the time.