Gopal & Company

Gopal & Company has been operating out of this spot at 87-3-18 in Bahadur Pet for a long time. Srikalahasti is where we’ve always been, and this shop is like a second home to us. My father started things here and I just took over because it was the natural thing to do. We sell all sorts of hardware and bits and pieces that people need for their houses. It’s not a big company by any means, just a few of us trying to keep the shelves stocked and the customers happy. The street outside can get a bit dusty when the wind picks up, so we spend a lot of time wiping down the counters. We don’t have any fancy software to track our sales, just a thick ledger and a pen that often goes missing. People come in for a single nail or a whole set of tools, and we treat them all the same. We don’t really have a big plan for the future, just staying open and helping out when someone’s sink leaks or they need a new hinge. The mornings are usually the quietest time, so that’s when we do most of our organizing. By the afternoon, it gets pretty warm under the tin roof, so we keep the old ceiling fan going. It makes a clicking noise but it helps. Most of our customers are neighbors we’ve known for decades. It is a simple life.