Umashankar Condiment Stores

I have been running this little shop in Banashankari 3rd Stage for more years than I care to count. Most people in this neighborhood just know me as Umashankar. The store is tucked away at 942/K in the Sanand area. It is a small, cramped place, but it is packed to the ceiling with jars of pickles and big bags of various spices. The heavy smell of crushed chili and turmeric is everywhere the moment you step inside. I spend my mornings refilling the plastic bins and making sure the snacks on the shelves are still fresh. Some of the older ladies from the nearby apartments come in every single day. They usually just buy a tiny packet of something small and then stay to talk for twenty minutes about their families. I don't mind it at all. It is just part of my daily routine. The shelves are a bit too crowded and sometimes things end up falling off onto the floor. I have to use a rickety old ladder to reach the stuff on the top rows. My knees aren't as strong as they used to be, so it takes me a bit longer to get up there now. We have some regular delivery boys who come by to drop off the new stock. The street outside is usually full of people rushing to their jobs. I like to sit on my wooden stool near the counter and just watch the neighborhood go by when things are slow. I write every sale down in my old ledger.