Tara Variety Stores

You can find us on Rai Mohan Banerjee Road in the Ashokegare area of Kolkata. It’s a typical Kolkata street, narrow and always busy with people. The shop is called Tara Variety Stores because we try to keep a bit of everything. From sewing needles to snacks, we have it stuffed in somewhere. It’s a bit of a squeeze inside. We have wooden racks that go all the way to the ceiling. I use a small ladder to reach the top items. Kolkata summers are tough, so the shop gets humid, but we have a ceiling fan that works most of the time. We know the people who live in the apartments around here. They come for their morning bread or eggs. Sometimes we just talk about football or the local market prices. The tea stall next door brings over a cup every afternoon. It’s a friendly vibe. We don’t do any advertising. People just know we are here. The sign outside is a bit faded from the rain. We get a lot of rain in the monsoon, and sometimes the water comes close to the doorstep. We just stack the bags higher then. It’s part of living here. We don’t have a computer or anything. We just use a paper pad for the bills. It’s how we’ve always done it. It works for us and the customers don't seem to mind the wait. We also keep some festive items when puja time comes and people need oil lamps or decorative paper. It’s a small place but it serves the area well.