Vijender General Store

Started the shop years ago on Mathura Road. It's right there in Sec. 35, near the Sarai Bazar. Most days are the same. I get here early to pull up the shutter and sweep the front step. The dust from the road is a bit much sometimes, but you get used to it after a while. People from Sarai Khawaja come in for their daily things. Sugar, tea, some biscuits for the kids when they get home from school. It’s not a big fancy place. Just a regular store where we keep what people need for their kitchen. Sometimes the delivery truck is late and I have to explain to the aunties why the soap they like isn't on the shelf yet. My chair is a bit old now, but it’s comfortable for when the afternoon is quiet and nobody is coming in. The fan makes a clicking sound that I should probably fix one day, but it keeps the air moving. We have the usual stuff like lentils and flour stacked up in bags. It’s a lot of lifting and moving boxes around. My back feels it by evening, especially when I have to move the heavy oil cans. The lights inside are a little dim in the back corner, so I usually carry a torch to find things. It’s just how it is. Being in Faridabad, it gets really hot in June. We keep the cold drinks at the front for that. Nothing special, just a local shop doing its bit every day from early morning until we finally lock up at night.