Arun General Store

Johari Bazar is always a mess of people and rickshaws, but that’s just how it is. If you head into Purohit Ji Ka Katla and find shop 85, that’s where Arun General Store is. It’s a narrow little place, like most of the shops in this part of Jaipur. We’ve got shelves stacked high with just about everything you’d expect to find in a general store. There are boxes of soap, packets of lentils, and little jars of spices tucked into every corner. It’s a bit dark inside because the sun doesn't really reach into the Katla very well. We use those old tube lights that flicker for a second before they stay on. My father started this place, and not much has changed since then. We still use the same heavy wooden drawers for the cash and the small items. The floor is made of old stone that’s worn smooth from years of people walking in and out. Dealing with the wholesalers in the morning is the busiest part of the day. We have to carry the crates in by hand because the lanes are too thin for even a small cart. It’s hard work and the air is always thick with the smell of different spices and incense from the temple nearby. We don't do anything special, just sell the things people need for their daily lives at home. It’s been our family’s work for a long time.