Kishan General Store

We are right by the Shiv Mandir here in Wazirabad, so we get a lot of people passing by at all hours of the day. Number 408 isn't a huge space, but we manage to fit a lot of stuff on the walls. If you look up, there are plastic buckets hanging from the ceiling and the shelves go all the way to the top. I have to use a little wooden stool to reach the things on the upper rows. Most days are spent just handing over small items like matches, cigarettes, or packets of chips. It gets very busy during the festivals because of the temple nearby, and the whole street gets packed with people. I usually have a helper with me then because it is too much for one person to handle. We don't really have a big office or anything, just a small desk where I keep the accounts and my tea mug. The floor is concrete and shows its age, but it is easy to clean. People in Wazirabad know us for being here every day, rain or shine. I don't think about it much, I just come in, open the locks, and start the day. It is hard work sometimes, especially when the heavy sacks of grain arrive, but it keeps us busy and connected to everyone in the neighborhood.