Prabakaran General Store

The doors open early here at 664 New Scheme Road in Mahalingapuram because we’ve been here a good while now. It’s a busy spot, especially in the mornings when everyone is heading out for work or school. The store isn't anything fancy to look at, just a regular place with shelves full of whatever people need for their houses. We spend a lot of time just rearranging things or checking what’s run out. Some days it’s quiet and we just sit by the door watching the traffic go by. There’s always someone stopping in for a small thing they forgot to buy elsewhere. We try to keep things organized but sometimes the boxes pile up in the back room and stay there for a few days. My family has been around this part of town for years, so we know most of the faces that come through the door. It’s not like those big supermarkets where nobody knows your name. Here, we know if the neighbor’s kid is sick or if the rain is coming. We just keep the lights on and make sure there’s enough stock on the shelves for the daily needs. It’s basic work, really. There is nothing complicated about it. We open up, sweep the front, and get ready for whoever walks in. Sometimes the heat gets to be a bit much in the afternoon, but that’s just how it is here. We aren't trying to do anything big, just keeping the shop running.