Ravi General Stroe

Ravi General Stroe is right along Sh1 in Bidaragodu. Since we are on the state highway, we get a mix of local people and folks who are just passing through on their way somewhere else. The name on the board has a little spelling mistake, but we never got around to fixing it because everyone knows which shop it is anyway. I spend a lot of time watching the cars and buses go by from the front door. We keep a bit of everything here—packets of biscuits, cold drinks, some basic medicines, and household items. The shelves are made of simple wood and I’ve painted them a few times over the years. It gets a bit noisy with the traffic outside, but you stop hearing it after a while. I have a small stool behind the counter where I sit when there are no customers. Most of the time, I’m busy checking the dates on the milk or sweeping out the dust that blows in from the road. The roof leaks a tiny bit in the far corner when it rains really hard, so I have to remember to move the flour bags. It is a one-man show for the most part, though my nephew helps out on the weekends. We stay open pretty late because you never know when a traveler might need a bottle of water or a quick snack. It’s just a plain, useful shop for the village.