Kanhaiya Lal Meat Shop

I’m at Shop No 2/67 in the single-storey part of Ramesh Nagar. If you come by early, you’ll hear the sound of the shutters going up. I start the day by cleaning everything down with hot water. It’s important in this business to keep things very tidy. I handle the meat myself, cutting it up based on what people ask for. Some want it for a curry, others want something else. I’ve been using the same wooden chopping blocks for a long time now. They’ve got deep grooves in them from all the years of work. People in Ramesh Nagar are particular about what they buy, so I have to be careful with the scales. I don’t say much while I’m working, mostly just nodding and taking orders. The shop is small, so it gets a bit cramped when three or four people are waiting. I keep a radio playing sometimes just to have some noise. It gets quite cold in the winter mornings, and my hands get stiff, but the work has to be done. I see the same faces every Sunday morning. It’s a busy day for everyone. I don't have any big signs or anything, just the shop name and the meat in the window. It’s a simple trade, and it's what my family has known for a while. We just stay here and do the work every day.