Arora General Store

Being near the Sabji Mandi in Kota means there is never a quiet moment. Arora General Store is right there in the Indra Gandhi DCM area. People are always passing by on their way to buy vegetables, and they often pop in here for things like spices, pens, or a bottle of water. The heat in Kota can be really something else, so the shop feels like a little shade for anyone coming in. I keep the shelves packed with all sorts of general items. It’s a bit cramped inside sometimes because we try to stock as much as possible. You’ll see bags of flour stacked in one corner and snacks hanging from the ceiling. I spend most of my day sitting behind the counter, counting change and talking to the regulars. Some people have been coming here for years. We get students too, looking for notebooks or snacks while they study. It’s not a shiny supermarket. It’s just a local store where things are a bit messy but you can find what you’re looking for if you ask. I usually close up quite late once the market crowd thins out. My hands are usually dusty from handling the sacks and boxes. It’s just how it is. We try to keep things simple and make sure we have enough stock for the next day's rush. Working near Kota H O, you see all kinds of people daily. It keeps life interesting.