Ashok Kumar Ashwani Kumar

We run our shop out of Darpan Colony in Thatipur, specifically at M-53. It is a general store and hardware place that my brother and I started together. We have been in this spot for many years, so we have seen the whole neighborhood change around us. The shop is quite narrow, and we have boxes stacked up everywhere you look. If you need something, you usually have to ask us because it is buried under something else. We sell all sorts of things like pipes, buckets, and cleaning supplies. We have an old wooden counter where we do all the transactions. There is a small stool for the older customers who want to sit and chat for a while. We don't use any computer systems; everything is written down in a big red book with a pen. It is a very simple way of doing business, but it works for us. The storefront gets a lot of sun in the morning, so we have to put up a cloth to keep the goods from fading. We are not a big supermarket with bright lights and music. It is just a local shop where we know most of the people who walk through the door. Sometimes the kids from the colony come in to buy small items, and we watch them grow up over the years. It is a nice way to spend the day, even if the work is sometimes repetitive.