Basavaraj Kirana Store

You can find Basavaraj Kirana Store at 27/499 on the Bazar Road in Bailhongal. This road is always noisy with people shouting and bikes honking, but inside the shop, it’s a bit calmer. I took over from my uncle and haven't changed much since then. We have the same wooden shelves and the old scale for weighing out lentils and spices. It’s a kirana store, so we have a little bit of everything squeezed into the drawers and cupboards. Sometimes I forget exactly where I put the smaller items like matchboxes or sewing needles, but I usually find them after a minute. The morning is our busiest time when everyone is getting things for breakfast. I have a helper who comes in for a few hours to help move the heavy oil tins. We don't have a fancy website or anything like that, just the shop front on the street. If the rain is heavy, the water leaks a little near the door, so we put out a bucket. Most of our customers are regular people from the surrounding blocks who have been coming here since they were children. We just try to keep the staples in stock so nobody has to go all the way to the bigger markets. It is a basic way to live, but it keeps us busy and the community fed.