Shahu Kirana & General Store

Shahu Kirana & General Store is over in the Madan Mahal area of Jabalpur. Being near the Nagpur Road and the railway station means there is always noise and people moving about. I open the shop quite early, usually before the sun is fully up, to catch the people heading to the station. We sell the usual things people need for their homes like rice, oil, soap, and snacks. My shelves are made of old wood and they groan a bit when I put heavy bags of sugar on them. I don't have a big staff, it’s mostly just me and a helper who comes in for a few hours in the afternoon. We spend a lot of time weighing out items and packing them into small plastic bags. It’s tedious but it’s how we’ve always done it. Sometimes the rain in Jabalpur is so heavy that water starts to seep under the door, so we have to move all the grain bags onto higher pallets. It’s a lot of physical work and my hands are always a bit rough from handling the rough jute sacks. We don't have a big sign or bright lights, just the name painted above the door. Most of our customers are the same people who have been coming here for a decade. They know I’ll give them a fair price and they don't mind waiting if I'm busy with someone else.