Khushbu Hair King Gents Beauty Parlour

Teliyabag is always loud. We sit here at Khushbu Hair King Gents Beauty Parlour right on the main road of Vijay Nagar. The traffic never really stops and you can hear the horns all day while we work. It’s a simple shop in Varanasi. We’ve got the regular chairs and the big mirrors that sometimes get a bit foggy when it’s humid outside. Most of the men who come in are from around the neighborhood. They just want a quick trim or a shave before heading to work. We keep the fans running fast because the heat in U P can get pretty bad. There’s a tea stall nearby so there’s always someone coming in with a small glass of chai. The floor gets covered in hair pretty quickly and we sweep it up when we find a minute between customers. It’s not a fancy place but it’s where people gather. Sometimes the power goes out and we just wait it out or use the manual clippers. We’ve been here in this spot for a while now. The sign outside is a bit faded from the sun. People know where we are. It’s just how it is here. You get your hair cut, maybe talk about the weather or the local news, and then you’re on your way back out to the main road. You can see the rickshaws passing by through the front door. We keep the scissors sharp. Sometimes it gets so busy there isn't even a place to sit and wait.