Sri Lakshmi Store

Sri Lakshmi Store is situated at No 1/196, Kamarajar Salai in Kottivakkam, Chennai. This part of the city is always moving, and being on the main road means we see a lot of people passing by every day. The shop itself is quite modest. We have wooden counters and shelves that have seen better days. Inside, it often smells like the various spices and grains we keep in large sacks. Because we are so close to the coast, the air is a bit salty, which sometimes makes the metal shutters rust a little. We have to grease them often so they don't get stuck. We stock all the basic provisions that a household might need. It’s mostly the local families from Kottivakkam who come in. I’ve seen kids who used to come for a single piece of candy grow up and now they come to buy groceries for their own homes. We don't have bright neon lights or glass sliding doors. It is just a regular neighborhood store where you can get what you need without any fuss. The traffic on Kamarajar Salai is usually heavy, so it gets a bit dusty inside. I spend a lot of time with a cloth just wiping down the jars and packets. We open the shutters early and don't close until late in the evening. It is a simple routine, and we are happy being a part of this neighborhood for all these years.