Srinivasan Stores

Down here on Seevaram 3rd Street in Perungudi, things move at their own pace. We are at number 32, right off Corporation Road. It’s a quiet enough spot most of the time. We’ve got the usual things people look for in a local shop. Chennai gets so hot in the afternoons that the store feels like a bit of a hideout. We keep the fans going all day. Sometimes the delivery trucks have trouble finding the street because it's a bit tucked away, but we've been here long enough that most locals know the way. There’s always someone coming in for soap or some rice. We don’t bother with fancy displays. The items are just on the shelves where they fit. We spend a lot of time checking the inventory and writing things down in a notebook. It’s just how we do it. Sometimes the neighbors stop by just to talk about the weather or the traffic on the main road. The floor is old tile, and the counter has some scratches, but it works fine. We start the day early, sweeping the front and getting the milk packets ready. By the time it's evening, the street lights come on and we start thinking about closing. It is just a regular life here at the shop. We don’t need anything big or flashy to keep going. We just like being here on this street where we know everyone.