Nirmal Store

Nirmal Store is right here on Anthoniyar Koil Street. The plot number is 327/109 in Kumaraguru Pallam. Most people know us because we are quite near the Grand Bakery, so that is usually how we give directions. It is a local shop where we keep the essentials for the neighborhood. I open up early in the morning and stay until late evening. It is a bit of a long day but that is how it goes. The street gets fairly busy with people heading to the bakery or just walking through. The smell of fresh bread from Grand Bakery usually drifts over around four in the afternoon, and that's when we know it's almost time for the evening rush. We have a few street dogs that hang around the front of the store; they’re quiet and mostly just sleep in the shade of the awning. I spend a lot of time rearranging the cans and packets on the shelves because people tend to move things around. The floor is made of that old grey stone that stays cool even when the sun is beating down on Anthoniyar Koil Street. We don't have air conditioning, just a big ceiling fan that wobbles a little. It’s been wobbling for five years and hasn’t fallen yet. Kumaraguru Pallam is a tight-knit place, and we know who is getting married or who is sick just by the talk at the counter. It isn't a fast-paced environment. We just take our time.