K. S. Kirana

K. S. Kirana is located at shop number two hundred and ninety-two in Damodar Nagar, Kanpur. It’s right near the Vaishno Mandir, so we get a lot of people passing by on their way to or from the temple. The street can get very muddy when it rains, and I’m always mopping the floor to keep the shop from looking like a mess. I’ve lived in Barra for most of my life, so I know the neighborhood like the back of my hand. The store is filled with big metal containers of pulses and grains, and the walls are lined with packets of chips and biscuits. It’s a simple setup. I don't have any employees, so if I need to step out for a minute, I have to ask the neighbor to keep an eye on things. Kanpur is a rugged city and the people here are straightforward, which I appreciate. We don't have any air conditioning, just the ceiling fan that rattles a bit when it's on high. I handle all the accounts myself in a thick ledger book. Sometimes the kids from the nearby houses come in with just a few coins for some candy, and I always try to have something for them. It’s not a fancy life, but it’s a steady one. I’ve been behind this counter for so long that I can tell who’s walking in just by the sound of their footsteps.