Patel Fancy & Gift Stores

Down here in Ramaswamy Palya, near the Kalkere Post, is where I have my store. It is number 740. I call it a fancy store because we sell all the small things like hair clips, bangles, and some makeup items that the local women look for. We also have a section for gifts, mostly things for kids like plastic cars or dolls. The shop is not very big, so every inch of the wall is used for hanging things up. Sometimes I forget what is behind the front row of items. Life here is steady. I open up early in the morning and stay until the last bus goes by. The floor is just simple tiles and I sweep it twice a day, but the dust from the road always finds its way back in. People come in to chat as much as they do to buy things. I know most of the families around here. They ask for credit sometimes, and I have a small notebook where I keep track of everything. It is just how a neighborhood shop works. The gift items are mostly for the school kids who have parties on the weekends. I try to keep the prices low because people here work hard for their money. It is a quiet existence but it feels right being a part of this community. I spend my afternoons sorting through new stock that arrives in big plastic sacks from the wholesaler or cleaning the glass jars on the front counter.