Rajesh Kirana Store

I open the shutters every morning right at the Bapu Nagar Choraha and the first thing I do is sweep the dust off the front step. It’s a busy spot here. People are always rushing to get to work but some stop for a packet of milk or some sugar. We have been here for a good while now and the shelves are always full of stuff like dal, rice, and those little soap bars everyone likes. It gets a bit cramped when three or four people come in at once because the bags of flour take up a lot of floor space. My hands usually smell like spices by lunchtime. Sometimes the fan makes a clicking noise but we just ignore it. Most of the people who come in live right around the corner so we know who needs what without them even asking. If someone is short a few rupees it is usually fine because they will be back tomorrow anyway. We keep the registers in a wooden drawer that sticks sometimes in the monsoon. It is just a regular life here selling groceries to neighbors. The traffic outside at the crossing never really stops until very late at night. We just keep stacking the biscuits and making sure the oil cans are lined up. It’s a simple way to spend the day and talk to the people who live nearby.