Roshni Kirana

Roshni Kirana is a small grocery shop here in Harshwardhan Nagar, Bhopal. We’ve got a bit of everything packed into this space. From the outside, it might look a little crowded because we hang some of the snack packets right by the door to save room. Inside, the shelves go all the way up to the ceiling. We keep the heavy stuff like five-kilo bags of flour on the floor and the lighter items like toothbrushes and sponges higher up. It’s a daily routine of checking the expiry dates and making sure nothing is sitting for too long. We don't use any fancy computers to scan things; we just know the prices or look at the labels. The local ladies often stop by to chat while they pick out their vegetables or spices. It makes the day go by faster. We get our supplies from the main market in the city, usually twice a week. Sometimes the items we want aren't available, so we have to find alternatives. It can be frustrating, but that’s just how the business works. During the monsoon, we have to be extra careful that the dampness doesn't get to the grains. We use a lot of plastic containers to keep things dry. The floor is old stone and gets a bit slippery when it rains. We just keep doing our work and serving the people who live around us. It’s just how it has always been here at the shop for a long while now.