Garg Stores

You can find Garg Stores right in the Line Park area, directly opposite the Mata Temple. Being across from the temple means we see a lot of people every single day, especially on mornings and during festivals. It is a small shop, but we try to keep a bit of everything that a household might need in a hurry. We have pulses, spices, cleaning stuff, and some stationery for the school kids. My father started this place, and now I handle the day-to-day things. It is a lot of standing around and talking to neighbors while weighing out sugar or lentils. We don't use fancy barcodes or scanners here. We just know the prices and write them down in a notebook. Sometimes the temple bells are so loud we have to shout a bit to hear the customers, but we are used to it by now. It is a nice place to work because you feel like you are part of the neighborhood. We don't have any big signs or bright lights. Most people just know the shop by the blue door. If someone is short a few rupees, we usually tell them to just bring it next time. On festival days, the whole street is full of people and music, and we stay open much later than usual. We sell a lot of coconuts and incense during those times. The Line Park neighborhood is where I grew up, so I know most of the families here. It is a small life, but a good one.