Marutham Stores

Marutham Stores is located right along the Mahabalipuram Road in the Padur area, which means there is almost always a layer of road dust on the front windows. Royapettah is a bit of a distance away, but this stretch here gets quite a lot of movement throughout the day. I spend a lot of time just moving things around so people can see what we have without tripping over the crates. The floor is made of old tiles that have seen better days, and they creak a little when you walk near the back storage area. We have two ceiling fans that work hard all day, but they mostly just push the warm air around. I usually keep a bottle of water under the counter because talking to customers all day makes your throat dry. People coming off the main road are often in a hurry, so I try to keep the most common items within arm's reach. There is a lot of stuff packed into the space we have. Sometimes I think about painting the walls a different color, but then I realize I'd have to move every single shelf, and that seems like too much work for a Sunday. Padur is growing fast, and there are new buildings going up all around us, but Marutham Stores stays pretty much the same as it was years ago. The regulars seem to like it that way. They know where the soap is and where the snacks are kept without even asking me for help.