Ganapathi Stores

Ganapathi Stores has been sitting here on Banneraghatta Road in BTM 2nd Stage for quite some time. We are right on the 25th Main Road at the corner of 5th Cross, and if you know this area, you know how the traffic gets. The shop takes up units 224 and 225, giving us enough room for the daily essentials people need. I start the day by pulling up the shutters and dragging the milk crates inside before the morning rush starts. People come in for their bread, eggs, and packets of tea while they are on their way to work. The shelves are packed with everything from soap bars to big bags of rice. We have those old glass jars for the loose sweets and biscuits that the kids like. It is a bit of a squeeze when more than four people are in the aisle at once. The floor tiles are worn down in the middle from years of people walking back and forth. I spend a lot of time checking the expiry dates on the milk and curd in the fridge. The cooling unit hums loudly all day, and sometimes I have to give it a kick to make it stop rattling. We don't have a computer system, just a notepad where I scribble down what we are running low on. It is a long day, usually starting at seven and not finishing until ten at night. The neighborhood is loud, but we know most of the people who walk through the door.