A V Amaran

A V Amaran is a small shop tucked away in Rohila Galli, near City Chowk in Aurangabad. The lanes here are narrow and old, and our shop has been part of this street for a long time. We sell general items that people need for their homes. I keep things like sewing thread, buttons, and also basic kitchen supplies. It’s a bit of a mix. I don't have a big sign outside, just the name written on the wall above the door. Most of my customers are women from the nearby houses who come out in the afternoon. We talk about the prices of vegetables while I measure out some ribbon or fabric. The shop smells a bit like incense because I light a stick every morning near the small shrine I keep. The wooden counter is worn smooth from years of people leaning on it. I don't have a computer or anything like that. I do all the math in my head or on a scrap of paper. Sometimes the supply of certain items is low because the trucks can't easily get through these narrow streets. We just make do with what we have. It’s a quiet life, away from the big malls. I close up for a couple of hours in the afternoon for a nap and then open again until late evening. It is just how things have always been done here.