Shiv General Store

Shiv General Store is located right on the road between Hapur and Buxer. It’s the kind of place where you can find a bit of everything, from bags of rice and lentils to small packets of biscuits and soap. We open up early because people heading to work often stop by for a bottle of water or some tobacco. The shelves go all the way up to the ceiling, so we have to use a wooden ladder to reach the things at the top. It’s a bit cramped inside, especially when more than two people are trying to shop at the same time. We know almost everyone who walks through the door by their first name. We spend a lot of time just chatting with the neighbors about how the crops are doing or the latest news from the village. The floor is made of old stone and it’s seen a lot of feet over the years. In the evenings, it gets quite busy when people are coming home and realize they forgot to buy sugar or oil for dinner. We have a small refrigerator for cold drinks, which is very popular during the hot months. The sign outside is a bit faded from the sun, but everyone knows where we are. It’s not a fancy supermarket, just a local store where we try to keep the basic things people need every day. We enjoy being part of the community here in the Buxer area.