Anil Saini General Store

If you are walking through Paharganj, you might find us over at Ghee Mandi, house number 245. It is a small general store that stays pretty packed with all sorts of things people need for their homes. Anil sits at the front counter most of the day, dealing with the customers and the suppliers who drop off the crates. The street outside is always full of people and rickshaws, so it gets quite loud and dusty throughout the day. We have been here for years and have seen the neighborhood change a lot. Some of the people who come in to buy bread or milk have been our neighbors for decades. We don't have any of those bright, fancy displays you see in the big malls. Our shelves are just wooden planks filled with soap, pulses, and household items. Sometimes things get a bit messy when a big delivery arrives and we have to stack boxes in the narrow aisles. We spend a lot of time just chatting with the locals who stop by not just to buy things but to hear the latest news. The fan keeps humming above the counter, but it doesn't do much against the Delhi heat. We stay open until late because there is always someone who forgot to buy sugar or needs a quick snack at night. It is just a regular life running a local shop. Nothing too fancy happens here in this part of town.