Shalimar Kirana & General Store

Operating Shalimar Kirana & General Store near Charminar is a busy job. We are located at D. No. 23-1-789 in Moghalpura, right in the heart of Hyderabad. The area is always full of people, tourists, and scooters weaving through the lanes. It’s noisy and loud, but I like the energy of it. I spend most of my time scooping out grains and weighing them on the scales. We sell things like dal, rice, sugar, and various spices that fill the air with a strong scent. The bags are heavy, and my back sometimes hurts from moving them around. I keep a ledger where I write down what people owe me, as many locals buy on credit until the end of the month. It’s an old way of doing things but it works here. The shop has high ceilings but it still feels cramped because of all the sacks of rice. I have an old wooden counter that has been smoothed down by years of people leaning on it. Sometimes the tourists wander in looking for directions to Charminar and I help them out. It’s not just a store; it’s a place where I see the same faces every day for years. The nights are especially busy when everyone is getting ingredients for dinner. I usually go home smelling like cumin and turmeric. That is just the way it is when you run a kirana shop.