Alif Stores

Started here in Aminjikarai a while back. Being on Poonamallee High Road means there is always noise from the buses and cars outside. It is just a regular shop where we keep things people need every day. Some days it is very crowded and we are just moving boxes around to make space. The shelves are mostly full but sometimes we run out of things when the delivery is late. We open up early and stay until the street gets a bit quiet. It is not a fancy place with big lights or anything. Just a counter and the items stacked up. People from around the neighborhood stop in while they are walking home. We know most of the faces by now. Sometimes the fan makes a bit of noise but we are used to it. It gets quite hot in the afternoon when the sun hits the front of the store. We just keep busy checking the stock and talking to whoever comes in. There is always something to do, like cleaning the floor or writing down what we need to buy for next week. It is just a simple way to make a living here in this part of the city. We don’t have any big slogans or anything like that. We just show up and keep the doors open for the people nearby who need a few things and don't want to go too far.