Rajesh Store

Mattancherry is a busy place, and our shop is tucked away on Gujarati Road. The address is 2-5-21, though most people just know it as the store near the corner. It is a narrow little space, and I have been working here since I was a young man. We sell a bit of everything, from soap and shampoo to local snacks and notebooks for the school kids nearby. It’s not a big supermarket, so things are a bit crowded on the shelves. Sometimes you have to move one box to find what’s behind it. The ceiling is low, and it stays cool even when the sun is out. My nephew helps me out during the busy hours in the evening when everyone is coming home from work. We get a lot of noise from the street, with the rickshaws and people talking outside. It’s just how it is in this part of town. We don't have fancy signs or anything like that. People come here because they know we have the basic stuff they need for their kitchens. Sometimes we sit on the wooden bench outside and chat with the other shopkeepers. Life on Gujarati Road is steady. We don't try to be anything we aren't. It’s just a small family store that has been around for a long time, and we plan to stay right here.