Lokesh Kirana & General Store

We open up the shop early most mornings here on Gwarighat Road in Jabalpur. The street is usually quiet at first but then the traffic picks up as people head toward the city or the river. Being right across from the Shiv Temple near the Badshah Halwai Mandir means we hear the bells a lot, which is nice. We have the usual things you would expect from a general store, like pulses, rice, soaps, and snacks. Sometimes the bags of flour are heavy to move around, especially when the delivery truck comes in the afternoon and we have to stack everything in the back. The shop isn't very big, so we have to use every bit of space on the shelves. People from around the temple stop by for small things they forgot to get elsewhere. It gets a bit dusty with all the vehicles passing by outside, so there is always some cleaning to do. We just try to keep things in stock so nobody leaves empty-handed. It’s a busy life but we know most of the people who walk through the door by their first names. If the power goes out, we just sit near the entrance where there is more light. It is just a regular place where we sell what people need for their kitchens and homes. Nothing fancy, just the basic stuff we’ve always had here. Most days are the same, just keeping track of the inventory and talking to the neighbors who drop in.