Venketesh Fruit Shop

Waking up at four in the morning is the hardest part of this job. I have to head over to the big market to pick through the crates and find the fruit that actually looks decent. Then I bring it all back here to Maruthi Layout. Our shop is up on the 2nd floor, so carrying those heavy wooden boxes up the stairs is a real chore. My back usually starts aching by the time the sun is high. New Thippasandra is always a mess of traffic and people, which I suppose is good for business. I spend a lot of my time just sorting through things like mangoes or grapes. You have to be quick to throw out anything that starts to go soft or the fruit flies take over the whole place. It feels like a waste, but that’s just how it goes with fresh stuff. Customers can be very picky. They like to touch every single piece and squeeze them, and I have to keep an eye out so they don’t bruise everything. Venketesh Fruit Shop isn't a big supermarket or anything like that. We are just a small place tucked away in Meernahalli. The evening sun hits the front of the building and makes it really hot inside. I keep the fans running full blast. It smells like sweet, overripe bananas most of the time. I’ve lived in this neighborhood for a long time. Most locals know we are up here even without a huge sign. I just keep the shelves stocked and hope people visit.