Shah Rice Store

Down in Simtore we have this store called Shah Rice Store. It is in the Kushmandi area of Dakshin Dinajpur. Being in this part of the district means we see a lot of different people coming through for their supplies. The store isn't very big but we pack it full of rice bags. You have to watch your step so you don't trip over a sack of grain. We spend a lot of time weighing things out on the scales. Sometimes the dust from the rice makes you sneeze but you get used to it after a while. The building is older and the floors are a bit uneven in the back room. We have a small window that looks out toward the road in Kushmandi and we watch the trucks go by while we work. It gets quiet in the afternoons when it is hot outside but then it picks up again toward the evening. We try to keep the bags stacked neatly but it is a struggle when a big delivery comes in. There is no air conditioning here so we just leave the doors open for a breeze. Most of our regulars are neighbors from Simtore who have been coming here for years. We just keep the records in a ledger and talk about the harvest. It is just a regular shop doing regular work every day. Sometimes we stay late to count the stock but usually we are out by dark.