Kamlesh Saloon

Dombivli East is always moving, and Kamlesh Saloon is right in the middle of it on Gograsswadi Road. We are at Hira Niwas, Shop Number 4, which is right across from Shelar Chawk. It’s a busy intersection, so there is always the sound of horns and rickshaws outside our door. The shop isn’t very big, but we’ve managed to fit everything we need into it. I’ve been working at this spot for a long time, and I’ve seen kids grow up and start bringing their own children here for their first haircuts. We have these old-fashioned wooden cabinets where we keep all the razors and lotions. The mirror has a small crack in the bottom corner that’s been there for years, but nobody seems to mind it much. Most of our customers are from the Patharli Naka area, people just stopping by on their way home from the station. We don't have a fancy waiting area, just a couple of plastic stools that we pull out when it gets busy. It’s a simple routine every day, opening up early, sweeping the sidewalk, and getting the towels ready. Sometimes the local tea seller brings us a cutting chai while we wait for the next person to walk in. It’s a honest way to make a living, and the people around here are good to us. We just keep our heads down and do the work.