Shiv General Store

Being at Shiv General Store on Plateform No-1 means things never really stay quiet. Mirpur Cantt is a busy spot, and since we are right on the platform, we see all kinds of people coming through Kanpur. Some are in a huge rush to catch their train and others are just waiting around for hours. We sell a lot of water and snacks, obviously. People always need something for their journey. The shop is small because space on the platform is tight. I spend most of my day standing behind the counter. You hear the announcements all day long, so I know the train timings by heart now. It gets quite dusty with the trains moving, so we spend a lot of time wiping the shelves. It’s hard work, but it’s steady. Sometimes the chai wala from next door comes over for a talk when it's slow. We have been here for years, through the hot summers and the cold winters. The station has changed a bit, but we are still here in the same spot. It’s not a glamorous job, just serving travelers and the railway staff who work nearby. We try to keep enough change in the drawer because everyone has big notes and they are in a hurry. You meet people from all over the country just standing in one place. It’s a bit of an interesting way to make a living, really. Anyway, it keeps us busy. We don't have time for much else besides making sure people get what they need before the whistle blows.