Naveen Kirana

Naveen Kirana is tucked into the ground floor of Abhishek Apartment in Jabalpur. Being at 319, right near the Shastri Bridge, means we get a lot of people passing through Napiar Town. It’s not a huge store, but we’ve managed to fit a lot into the space we have. I usually start the day by pulling up the heavy metal shutter and checking the milk crates that were dropped off. The apartment residents come down in their slippers to get bread or eggs before work. It’s a nice routine. The shelves go all the way up to the ceiling, so I have to use a wooden ladder to reach the top rows of snacks or cleaning supplies. Sometimes the ladder wobbles a bit, which is a reminder that I should probably fix it soon. The Jabalpur humidity can be tough, so the packets of chips sometimes feel a bit crinkly. We keep a small notebook behind the counter to write down what we need to order for next week. It’s mostly just me here, though sometimes a cousin comes by to help when I need to go to the main market. You can hear the traffic from the bridge all day long, but inside it’s just the sound of the fridge humming and people asking for their daily groceries.