Gupta Ji Dairy & Genreal Store

Madhyam Marg is a busy place, especially where we are at 62/310 near the Jaipur GPO area. I wake up early, around five, to get the milk crates ready. People start knocking before I even have the shutters fully up. That’s how a dairy works, I guess. We have the usual things like bread and eggs, but it’s the general store stuff that keeps the shelves crowded. It’s a bit of a squeeze inside with all the bags of pulses and snacks. My kids sometimes help me stock the soaps and shampoos in the evenings. The neighborhood knows me as Gupta Ji, and I’ve seen some of these kids grow up. They used to come for one-rupee candies and now they bring their own children for milk. The floor gets dirty pretty fast with people coming in and out all day. I try to sweep it when there’s a gap. It’s not a polished supermarket. It’s just a corner shop where you can find what you forgot to buy for dinner. Sometimes the fridge makes a loud humming noise that bothers me, but as long as the milk stays cold, it’s fine. We talk about local news or why the road is blocked again. It’s a lot of standing on my feet, but I don't think I’d know what to do with myself if I wasn't here.