Ahmed Kirana & General Store

Living and working in Mallepally means you see a lot of people coming and going every day. Our shop, Ahmed Kirana & General Store, is just a small place tucked into the street here in Hyderabad. It is not a very big space, so we have to stack things all the way up to the ceiling sometimes to make everything fit. You will see sacks of flour and sugar sitting on the floor and rows of colorful plastic packets hanging from the doorway. We have been here for a good amount of time, seeing the neighborhood change little by little. The morning starts with the milk delivery trucks, and that is usually the busiest hour because everyone wants their tea supplies. My hands are always a bit dusty from handling the grains or moving the crates around. There is no air conditioning, just the open door and a small table fan behind the counter where I sit. Sometimes the kids from the local houses come in with a few coins for some candy or a small toy. We try to keep things tidy, but with so many items in such a tight spot, it always looks a bit crowded. It is a quiet kind of work, mostly just talking to neighbors about the weather or how much the prices of onions have gone up this week. We stay open until late evening when the street lights come on and things finally slow down. It is just how we do things here.