Kanhaiya Provision Store

Our store is right near the Jaipur G P O. It’s a landmark area, so we get a lot of foot traffic from people who are just passing through to mail letters or packages. We sell all the basic things people need for their kitchens. You’ll see big open bags of lentils, rice, and different kinds of flour. The smell of spices like turmeric and cumin is always hanging in the air. We spend a lot of time scooping things into paper bags and weighing them on the old scales. It’s a simple setup, nothing like those big modern supermarkets. We know which brand of tea the old man from the corner likes and which oil the lady from the apartments prefers. Sometimes the power goes out and we have to use candles or a torch to find what someone wants. The shelves are wooden and a bit rickety, but they hold everything we need. We don’t have a computer system; everything is written down by hand in a diary. It can get very hot in the summer because the front is wide open to the street. We keep a big earthen pot of cold water for ourselves and any thirsty person who walks by. It is a busy life, but we like being in the center of things. Working near the post office means we see a bit of everything every day. We just keep our heads down and serve whoever walks through the door.