Mahalaxmi Paints & Hardware Mart

Number 29 in Shakti Nagar is where I spend most of my waking hours. It’s a decent-sized mart for this neighborhood. We carry a bit of everything for folks looking to fix up their places. Dealing with paints and hardware means my hands are rarely clean. There’s always some grease or a bit of pigment under my fingernails. Shakti Nagar is a nice area, mostly residential, so we see a lot of families coming in. They usually want advice on what kind of tap won't leak or which paint can handle the sun on an exterior wall. I tell them what I know from my own experience. The shop is organized, or at least I like to think it is. I’ve got the hardware on one side and the paints on the other. Sometimes the smell of the thinners can get a bit strong, so I leave the front door wide open to catch the breeze. It’s a lot of standing and walking back and forth all day. I have a small wooden chair behind the counter but I rarely get to sit in it for long. My son helps out sometimes when he’s not busy with his own things. We’ve been at this address for a while now and we’ve seen the neighborhood change as new houses go up. It’s just a steady, quiet way to make a living.