Photographed by Munjarita Mondal
An establishment dedicated to fixing and selling fountain pens may sound anachronistic in an era that becomes more digital with each passing day. Besides, for those who need it, stationery can easily be brought for loose change. “For my customers, fountain pens are not just stationery,” Imtiaz scoffs. “It is a personal belonging that they hold onto and pass down as heirlooms.” He digs out a fountain pen from under his cabinet, neatly wrapped in white paper with its owner’s initials written on it. “This is a vintage Waterman model that costs well over ₹20,000. The owner has trusted me to fix it,” he says, the pride in his voice unmistakable. I peer over the glass cabinet and find box upon box of fountain pens neatly stacked in a row, each wrapped in a paper detailing their owner’s name and address, waiting to be discharged. “In my grandfather’s time, pen mechanisms were simple. One simply had to fix the nib or add a socket and make small changes to the body parts,” explains Imtiaz. “Now it’s more complex. We often have to contact the companies and ask them to send us branded parts to fix these pens”.