Subscribe Now
Trending News

The Key To Success
Sushant Lok 1

The Key To Success

Winston Churchill once said – “Success is moving on from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” Let us, therefore talk about the physical aspect of the term – the ‘Key’ to Success. Meet Zeeshan – a young 24-year-old lad whose column-like work desk is as lean and as tall as he is – with a provision to hold a rather wide, colourful umbrella tied securely to the wooden frame which boldly displays the name of his enterprise.

“I copy keys of all shapes and metals – flat, round, 6-inch ones to the smallest – measuring barely two centimeters. I buy blank keys from Purani Dilli by weight which are available in different metals – iron, stainless steel, and brass. One bulk purchase lasts me for months together. A single key which forms part of a kilo of keys may cost me a negligible amount, but what I finally bill my customer for is the end product which undergoes careful work of grinding, polishing, and smoothening them for my client’s convenience. Till now, I haven’t seen any client come back to me saying that his/her key hasn’t worked and that is what I think is a big achievement for me. (In his calculation he disclosed his industrial secret to me – for every finished key that he puts in the hands of the customer, he may ask for a sum of hundred and fifty rupees, which originally would have cost him less than ten rupees. “Well, if you look at the entire process, right from the stage of procurement, the process of value-addition is quite detailed, extremely precise, and accurate) 

The process of key-making has become very specialised. Earlier it used to be a manual process that consisted of using the client’s key as the guide to which a blank key used to be securely fastened and held in place with the help of a vice or strong pliers, over which a file used to be delicately run so as to not disturb the formation of the teeth of the original one. Over the years this process got further refined and the grinding part was taken over by 12-volt DC Motors. Now, a new electronic process has been introduced, wherein a 3-D image of the key is taken and after a bit of programming, the new key falls out from the rear end of the machine. “But these electronic machines are very expensive and how can we, the petty roadside workers afford them ?” I am therefore using the semi-automatic one only.”

Not only is Zeeshan an ace key copier, but he is also an expert key creator. Take any lock to him and without dismantling anything, he will produce a perfect key by inserting a soft metal key, turning it several times listening closely to the friction and clocks, guessing the width and the depth of the key that can eventually fit. (this, I thought, in my mind, could eventually turn out to be a big threat to the security of the Society) “We are called by the Police several times in situations in which they have to forcefully break into an area – we cannot help but cooperate – such assignments are absolutely non-remunerated.

“A sect of your community”, he says pointing his index finger at me “Are our competitors as you may have seen SARDAR JI CHABI WALE. They are there all over, with equally great workmanship, and charge even lesser prices, but their area of operation is different and we have mutually decided not to transgress each other’s areas and, for the moment it’s moving fine.

“I’m not married yet and am waiting to be settled down well. Currently, this khokha is merely a temporary jugaad arrangement. At the close of work, I pick it up and keep it in a welding shop owned by one of my relatives”. Most of the male members of his family & cousins are into the same trade and they are all doing well…

Home
Neighbourhood
Comments