Vikash Kirana Store

Vikash Kirana Store is right in the middle of the Main Market in Kodarma. The Jhumri Telaiya police station is just a short walk away from our front door, so it is a safe enough spot. The market gets incredibly crowded on the weekends. You can barely hear yourself think with all the honking and people shouting outside. We keep a lot of stuff packed on the shelves. It is mostly bags of rice, different kinds of dals, and cooking oils. We open up early because that is when the older folks like to do their shopping before the sun gets too high in the sky. The floor is made of old stone and it is hard to keep it perfectly clean with so many people walking in every day. We do not have any fancy displays. Just items stacked where we can find them easily. My hands are usually a bit dusty from handling flour sacks or weighing out sugar for customers. We get a lot of regulars who live nearby. Sometimes we sit and chat for a bit if the shop is not too full. It is a small space, but we make it work. The police officers from the station come by for their daily needs too. It is just a standard kirana shop. Nothing more, nothing less. We just keep the inventory moving and try to remember which neighbor needs what specific brand of tea. Life in Kodarma is busy.