Srinivas Mekala

I am located right near the old bus depot in Gowliguda. The address is 15-4-382 to 386 in the Osmanshahi area. It’s a very crowded part of town, especially in the afternoons. There’s always noise from the buses and people shouting across the street. I’ve been in this spot for a long time. The shop is more like a few small rooms put together. We keep a lot of stock here. Most of the day is spent talking to people who come in looking for specific things. I usually sit on a small stool near the entrance so I can see who is coming. It’s dusty because of all the traffic outside, but we try to keep the counters clean. My family helps out when it gets really busy. We don’t have any big signs or bright lights. Just the name on the front and some old wooden shelves. Sometimes the neighbors come over for tea and we just sit for a minute before the next customer arrives. It’s a lot of manual work, moving boxes and writing down what we sold in the ledger. I like being close to the depot because it feels like the center of everything. By the time evening comes, I’m tired but the work is done. It’s just a simple life here in Gowliguda. Every day is a bit different but mostly it's just about serving the people who walk in and finding what they need.