K. P. General Store

Working at K. P. General Store in Amritsar is quite busy because we are so close to the Golden Temple. You can hear the sounds from the New Clock Tower Market all day long, especially the tourists talking and the rickshaws. Our shop is at number 152 and it’s right opposite the Shani Mandir, which is a very easy way for people to find us. I usually spend my time sitting on a wooden stool near the counter, watching the pilgrims pass by in their colorful clothes. We have the usual things people need like soaps, snacks, and small items for their homes. The building we are in is quite old and the walls are a bit stained, but it stays relatively cool inside during the hot summer months. Sometimes the monkeys from the nearby rooftops come down and I have to be careful about the open boxes of food near the front. It’s a busy life but I like talking to the locals who come in every morning for their daily milk or bread. The Shani Mandir bells ring at certain times and that’s how I keep track of the day without looking at my watch. I’ve lived in this part of Amritsar my whole life and the shop has stayed mostly the same for twenty years. We don’t have any fancy glass displays or anything like that. It’s just wooden shelves filled with things that people ask for. I try to keep the front swept but market dust is everywhere.