Nayna Maligai

Our shop, Nayna Maligai, sits right at 2/65 on Kel Mel Theru. If you know the Annasiali By Pass in Ayampettai, you’ve probably passed by our street many times without even noticing. It’s a busy little corner of the world. We open up early, usually before the morning traffic on the bypass really picks up speed. It gets dusty inside because of all the cars and lorries going past, so we spend a good chunk of the morning just dusting off the jars and sweeping the floor. Being a maligai store means we have a bit of everything squeezed onto the shelves. We’ve got rice, dals, oils, and all the little things people realize they forgot at the last minute. The space is a bit cramped, and sometimes we trip over the sacks of grain sitting in the walkway, but we manage. People from the neighborhood stop in for a quick chat while they get their daily needs. We know most of the faces by now. It’s not a fancy supermarket with bright lights and air conditioning. We just have a few overhead fans that hum all day long. Sometimes the electricity goes out and we have to sit in the shade of the doorway until it comes back on. It’s a simple way to earn a living here in Ayampettai, just keeping the shelves stocked and serving the local people who live around Kel Mel Theru. We focus on the daily tasks.