Silk International

The shop is located at J-1/131-32 in Shesman Bazar. It is right near Pilikothi, a landmark that everyone in this part of town uses for directions. In fact, if you ask anyone for Pilikothi, you are basically there already. The bazaar is a maze of small lanes and other shops, so it can be quite a walk to get to us if you are not used to the crowd. We have a fair amount of space across the two units, but it still feels crowded because of all the silk we keep in stock. There are rolls of fabric everywhere, and the smell of raw silk is pretty strong when you first walk in. We do not have a big window to show off the goods, so we rely on the people who already know we are here. Every day is about the same for us—unpacking new arrivals, checking the weave, and making sure the colors match what we were expecting. The lanes outside are always full of cycles and people carrying bundles of cloth. It gets very loud, especially in the afternoons when the market is at its peak. We usually have a pot of tea going in the back for when friends or long-time customers stop by to chat for a few minutes. It is a very traditional way of doing business, without any of the fancy office stuff you see in the bigger cities. We just focus on the fabric and the people who come through the door.