Bhagyalaxmi General Store

Begum Bazar is a real maze of shops and people, and we are tucked right inside the Him Mantram Complex. The address is 15-1-635/C, and we are quite close to Chetan Plastics in the Feelkhana area. It’s a very old part of Hyderabad and the streets are so narrow that two people can barely walk side by side sometimes. At Bhagyalaxmi General Store, we deal with all sorts of household goods that people in the city need. My father started this and I just continued with it because it’s what I know. The complex is always humming with the sound of people bargaining and trolleys being pushed over the uneven floors. I usually have my tea sitting on a small plastic chair near the entrance while watching the crowd. It gets very dusty because of all the construction nearby, so I’m constantly dusting off the bottles and boxes on the top shelves. We are near Chetan Plastics, so if you find that, you’ve basically found us. The light inside the shop isn't very bright, but we know exactly where everything is kept. It’s a bit of a squeeze when more than three customers come in at once, but we make it work. Most of our regulars have been coming here for years and they don't mind the cramped space. It’s just the way things are in Begum Bazar. We stay open late because that’s when the market really comes alive with shoppers.