Shiv Shakti Kirana

Our shop, Shiv Shakti Kirana, is in Sector 141-C in Indrapuri, Bhopal. It is a quiet residential part of the city, so we mostly see the same families every day. I open the shutter around 8:30 am after having my tea. The first hour is just about getting the milk packets into the cooler and setting out the bread. The shop itself is a bit small, but we make use of every inch of space we have. We have sacks of flour and rice on the floor and small items like matches and batteries near the cash box. Bhopal summers can be tough, so the shop stays a bit dark to keep it cool inside. I do not use a computer for the bills, just a pen and a small notepad. It is faster that way when there is a line of people wanting their morning supplies. People come in for a chat as much as they do for the groceries. They tell me about their day while I am weighing out pulses or looking for a specific brand of tea they like. Sometimes the light goes out and we have to use a torch to find things at the back of the store. It is just a normal way of doing things here. We do not have any big signs or advertisements. Just the name on the board outside and the products on the shelves. It has been this way for a long time and we like the routine of it. Even when it is raining hard, we keep the door half open for the neighbors.