Ajay General Store

My shop is called Ajay General Store and you can find it in Ajay Nagar. I’ve lived in this neighborhood my whole life, so it made sense to open a business here. It’s not a large store, and it can feel a bit cramped when more than three people are inside at once. I try to stock everything from soap and shampoo to bags of rice and spices. The floor is made of grey cement and it’s seen a lot of wear over the years. I usually have a radio playing some old songs in the background to pass the time. Delivery trucks come a couple of times a week, and I have to move all the crates by myself, which is tough on my back. The shelves are mostly just metal racks that I bought secondhand. I keep the most popular snacks near the door so the kids can find them easily. Sometimes the power goes out in the afternoon, and then it gets really dark and stuffy inside. I just open the back door to let a bit of a breeze in. I know most of the people who walk through that door by their first names. We talk about their kids or how the local cricket team is doing. I don't have a website or a social media page. If people need something, they just walk down the street and see if I’m open. I usually am, from early morning until quite late at night, just sitting here and waiting for customers.