Samrat Stores

Samrat Stores is located right in Phalka Bazaar here in Gwalior. If you have ever been to this part of town, you know how tight the streets are. The zip code is 474001 and it feels like every single person in the city is trying to fit into these lanes at the same time. We open up the shop early in the morning before the sun gets too high. There is always a lot of dust in the air from the old buildings and the scooters passing by. We keep things simple here. The shelves are mostly full, though sometimes we run out of stuff and have to wait for the next delivery truck to squeeze through the traffic. It is noisy all day long with vendors calling out and the bells from the rickshaws. We have a small stool in the corner where we sit when there are no customers. Most of the people who come in are locals who have lived around Phalka Bazaar for years. We know their faces even if we don't always know their names. The floor is a bit uneven and the lighting is kind of dim, but it’s been our spot for a long time. There isn't any fancy air conditioning, just a ceiling fan that wobbles a bit when it's on high. We just try to keep the place organized enough so we can find what people are looking for. It’s a basic life running a store.