Anand Grain Stores

Anand Grain Stores is located in Nayabazar, which is in the Khalpara area. This is part of the Darjeeling district, though we are down in the flat part, not up in the hills where the tea is. Nayabazar is a very busy market area. There are people hauling bags and shouting prices all day long. Our store is right in the thick of it. It’s a bit dark inside because the buildings are so close together that the sun doesn't really reach the back. We have sacks of grain piled up almost to the ceiling. The floor is made of old wood and it squeaks whenever you walk near the front counter. We spend a lot of our time weighing out portions for people who come in. My hands are usually covered in a fine layer of dust by the end of the day. It’s a lot of heavy lifting, so my back usually aches by the time we close up. We don't really have a website or anything like that. People just know we are here because we’ve been in Khalpara for years. Sometimes the rain comes down so hard you can’t hear yourself think because of the sound on the roof. We just sit on our stools and wait for it to pass. It’s a plain business, just selling grain and keeping the books straight. We aren't trying to be anything we aren't.