Subh Lakshmi

Out here in Village Post Digihra, things move a bit slower than in the city. Subh Lakshmi is right at Gadiya Chowk, which is where everyone meets up in the evenings. Most of the day, it’s just the sound of cows or the occasional motorbike passing by. We keep the doors open to let the breeze in from the fields. Pusha is a quiet area, and we like it that way. The shop is filled with various items piled on wooden shelves that my uncle built years ago. They are a bit crooked now. We don't use a computer for the bills; everything is written down in a long notebook with a red cover. Sometimes the ink smears if it’s raining outside. We have a small bench outside for people to sit while they wait for their orders. Most people who come in are neighbors we’ve known for twenty years. We talk about the crops or the weather more than the actual business. The floor is just swept dirt and brick in some parts. It gets dusty when the wind picks up across the chowk. We close up for a few hours in the afternoon when the sun is too high. It’s just how things are done here. There is no rush to get things finished. We do what we can and leave the rest for tomorrow morning. The tea kettle is always on for whoever stops by.