Mushad Kirana Store

The Mushad Kirana Store is right on the main road in Gareema Garden, and let me tell you, the Ghaziabad traffic never seems to stop. From the moment I roll up the shutter in the morning, the noise of trucks and horns is constant. The shop itself is pretty straightforward. We have the usual staples like bags of rice and stacks of soap bars. It’s not a very big place, so we have to use every inch of the walls to hang packets of chips and spices. Sometimes it feels like the walls are closing in, but you get used to the clutter. The floor is just simple tile that I try to sweep a couple of times a day, though the dust from the main road always finds its way back in. Customers are usually people living in the colony who just need something quick on their way home. I spend a lot of time sitting on a wooden stool behind the counter, watching the world go by through the open front. It gets really hot in the summer, and the metal roof doesn't help much, but we manage with a few cold drinks from the fridge. There isn't any fancy marketing here, just me and the goods on the shelf. It’s a bit of a struggle to keep everything organized, but it’s a living and we've been here for a while now.