A day in the life of a New Delhi roadside barber

Rajesh Kumar moved to Delhi from Bihar successful 1999 astatine the property of 18 to assistance his begetter tally a barber’s stall connected the roadside successful the Jasola area, a mixed neighbourhood successful southeast Delhi. But aft immoderate months, helium started moving arsenic an adjunct to a doc astatine the Apollo Hospital successful Jasola, handing retired medicine papers and organising diligent records.

After his father's decease from crab a twelvemonth later, Kumar took connected the concern himself, continuing the roadside tradition. “I wanted to proceed his legacy,” helium says, but helium besides hopes his children volition prosecute “better vocation choices”.

“I unrecorded successful a one-room flat, but they should person large houses,” helium says.

Roadside barber Rajesh Kumar wrong his one-room apartment, which helium has lit up with festive lights connected the eve of Diwali [Meer Faisal/Al Jazeera]

Swami, 40, stopped his acquisition portion helium was inactive successful superior schoolhouse due to the fact that helium was unhappy determination but says helium is determined to enactment his daughter’s imagination of becoming an architect.

He archetypal started cutting hairsbreadth successful his colony successful Uttar Pradesh. But 20 years ago, helium moved to New Delhi and acceptable up a roadside stall successful the mixed, upper-middle-class Sarai Jullena neighbourhood, and it became his imperishable address.