Shiva Departmental

We have been here at G 27 in the Saugaat Apartment building for quite a while now. Most people around University Road know us just as Shiva Departmental. It is a busy spot here in the Govindpuri area. Gwalior gets pretty hot in the summer months, so we try to keep things organized so people can get what they need and head back home quickly. My brother and I usually handle the morning shift while the younger boys help out in the evenings when the students from the university come by. We stock the usual stuff like lentils, soap, and snacks. Sometimes the delivery trucks are late because of the heavy traffic on the main road, but we manage. People stop by on their way back from work mostly. It is not a huge place, just a regular shop where we know half the customers by their first names. We do not really do fancy displays or anything like that. If someone needs a specific brand of tea or a particular cooking oil, they just ask. We write down orders in a notebook when things run low. Sometimes the power goes out and we have to use handheld fans, but that is just how it is here. We try to keep the shelves full because nobody likes coming all the way and finding out the milk is gone. It is a simple life, opening up early and closing late once the street lights are finally on. We have seen kids grow up and go to college while coming to this shop.