Ekta Kirana

On Bajrimandi Road in Jaipur, you will find our small kirana shop called Ekta Kirana. The road is often dusty and there is always some construction or another going on nearby. We have been sitting here for quite a while, watching the city grow and the traffic get heavier. I spend a lot of time weighing out flour and pulses for the ladies who live in the apartments close by. Our shop is filled with the scent of raw grains and laundry soap. We don't have fancy displays, just some old glass jars and sturdy wooden racks that my father built. I usually sit on a plastic chair near the entrance so I can see people coming and also get a bit of air. It gets very hot in Jaipur during the summer, so we keep the ceiling fan running at full speed all day. Sometimes the delivery guys bring the wrong brand of cooking oil and we have to argue a bit to get it replaced. Most of our business comes from the people who live within walking distance. They come in for a single onion or a whole bag of rice, and we treat them all the same. It is a steady job and it keeps me connected to the community. My younger brother comes in the evening to help when everyone is returning from work and wants to buy their groceries.