Prajapati Provision Store

Being on Pushkar Road means there’s never really a quiet moment with all the bikes and buses heading toward the temple area. Prajapati Provision Store is tucked into Chhoti Basti, and it’s a small space that we try to make the most of. The shelves go all the way up to the ceiling, so I have to use a rickety stool to reach the stuff at the top. I’ve been meaning to fix that one leg of the stool for months now. The floor is grey cement, and it shows every bit of dust that blows in from the street. Most of the people who stop by are from the houses right behind us in the basti. They come in for small things they forgot during their main shopping. In the summer, the sun hits the front of the shop directly, so we have to hang a heavy cloth over the door to keep the inside from turning into an oven. It makes the place a bit dark, but it’s better than sweating all day. I usually have the radio playing some old songs in the background, though half the time the static is louder than the music. There’s always a stack of empty crates near the entrance that I need to move, but they just seem to stay there. It’s a simple life, just minding the store and talking to the regulars about their kids or the local news.