Lala Ji Store

Lala Ji Store is right here in the Main Bazar area of Nagla Padi. We open up pretty early when the sun is just coming up and the street is still a bit quiet before the rickshaws start making noise. It’s a small place but we keep a lot of things packed in on the shelves. You can find almost everything for the kitchen like flour, rice, and different kinds of pulses in big bags. There are also soaps and shampoos near the counter. People from around Agra stop by while they are out doing their daily chores. Sometimes the shop gets a bit crowded in the evening and it stays busy until we pull the shutter down at night. The fans hum all day to keep the heat away but it still gets quite warm inside. We spend a lot of time just moving boxes around and making sure things are where they belong. The floor is a bit old and the paint is peeling in some corners but it’s where we work every day. We know most of the people who come in by their names because they live just a few streets away. It’s just a regular shop where you get what you need for the house without any fuss. Sometimes we sit outside on a plastic stool when there are no customers. Nagla Padi has changed a lot over the years but this spot stays the same.