Ramulu Kirana General Store

This shop is tucked away in Zamistanpur, right opposite the Arkut School. The address is 1-7-1022/9/19. Being near a school means we get a lot of kids coming and going. They come in for pencils, erasers, or some small snacks during their breaks. It gets very loud and hectic for about twenty minutes, and then it’s quiet again for the rest of the hour. Ramulu Kirana General Store is a typical Hyderabad shop. We have the big glass jars of biscuits on the counter and sacks of onions sitting on the floor. The walls have some old calendars hanging on them, some from three or four years ago that I never bothered to take down. I like the colorful pictures on them. The ceiling fan is very old and wobbles a lot when it’s on the highest setting. I usually keep it on medium to be safe. My brother helps me out sometimes when he’s not busy, but mostly it’s just me here. I know who likes which brand of tea and who prefers a specific type of sona masuri rice. It’s not a fancy job, but it pays the bills and keeps me active. Sometimes the street gets flooded when it rains heavily, and I have to put some heavy bricks at the door to keep the muddy water out. It’s a bit of a struggle, but we manage somehow. People here are friendly and we talk about local stuff while I wrap their items in old newspapers. It’s just a normal life in a normal shop.