Akash General Store

Our shop is in Indirapuram, specifically at Shop Number 14. We are near the Indirapuram School, in the Nyay Khand 1 area. Himalaya Legent is the big building nearby. Being near a school means we get a lot of kids coming in for pens, pencils, and snacks. The mornings are very hectic when parents are dropping their children off. They often stop for some last-minute things. Ghaziabad is always growing, and we have seen many new buildings come up around us. The dust from the construction is a constant battle. I spend a lot of time with a cloth in my hand, wiping down the biscuit packets and cold drink bottles. We have a refrigerator for milk and curd, which is very popular in the summers. It’s a simple setup. We don't have any computer billing or anything. I just write things down in a notebook or do the math in my head. People trust us. We have lived in this area for a long time. The shop is a place where neighbors meet and have a quick chat while waiting for their items to be packed. It’s a small life, but it keeps us busy from morning to night. We close up when the streetlights come on and the crowd thins out. It’s hard work, but it’s our own. We have everything a house needs for the kitchen and bathroom. It is just a neighborhood shop.