Sai Jyothi Kirana & General Stores

We are located at 11-1-39/1 in Jinkalwada, over in the Sanat Nagar area of Hyderabad. It’s a typical kirana store where we try to keep a bit of everything for the local families. I wake up early to get the shop ready before the first customers arrive. We have the usual sacks of rice and different kinds of lentils. The smell of the spices is quite strong when you walk in. I’ve spent many years behind this wooden counter, watching the neighborhood change around us. Some of the kids who used to come in for chocolate are now grown up and buying groceries for their own homes. It makes me feel a bit old, but it’s nice to see. We have the general items too, like batteries, light bulbs, and cleaning stuff. The shop isn't very big, so we have to pile things up high. I keep a notebook where I write down what people want if we don't have it in stock. Sometimes the rains in Hyderabad make the street outside quite messy, but people still come in. I usually have the radio playing quietly in the background. It is a quiet, steady kind of work. We don't have any big signs or fancy lighting. It’s just a place where you can get your daily needs without having to go all the way to a big store.