I N Stores

We’ve been here at 13 Palani Road in Udumalpet for a while now. Most people know the spot because it is easy to find when you are heading down that way toward the main part of town. It is just a regular shop where we keep things organized as best as we can, though some days are busier than others and the floor gets a bit messy from all the foot traffic coming in and out. We start pretty early in the morning to get things ready before the sun gets too high and the air gets heavy. Being in Udumalpet, you get to know the faces of almost everyone who walks past the front door every day. Sometimes we just stand outside for a minute to catch a breeze when things are quiet. It isn't a fancy place with bright lights or expensive decorations, just a solid building where we do our work and talk to the neighbors. The shelves are usually full, but sometimes we run out of things if the delivery truck is late coming down the road from the city. That is just how it goes here. We don't have a big office, just a small desk in the back where we handle the paperwork and drink our tea. It is a simple life running a store on Palani Road. Most of us have lived around here our whole lives, so we don't need a map to find our way home. We just keep the doors open and see who comes in.