Sri Sai Kirana & General Store

The shop stays open quite late most days because people in Inderbagh usually forget something for dinner at the last minute. We’ve been here in Hyderabad for a good while now, just sitting behind the counter and watching the traffic go by on the main road. It gets pretty dusty inside, so a lot of time goes into wiping down the biscuit packets and the soap bars. Sometimes the light flickers a bit in the back corner where we keep the big bags of rice, but we know where everything is even in the dark. It’s not a fancy place, just a regular room filled with stuff people need like oil, matches, and lentils. My hands usually smell like spices or soap depending on what I was restocking last. Usually, the morning is quiet, then it picks up when the kids come by for sweets after school. We try to keep the fridge cold for the milk, but sometimes the power goes out like it does everywhere else in the city. There is a small stool by the door where I sit when there are no customers. It’s just a simple life here, selling everyday things and talking to the neighbors about the weather or the price of onions. We do not have any big signs, just the name Sri Sai Kirana & General Store painted above the shutter. It’s enough for people to find us when they need a quick bag of sugar.