Ashok Kirana & General Store

Nayapura Civil Line is a bit more relaxed than the main market areas, which is nice for a store like ours. I start the day by sweeping the front step and checking the milk crates that get dropped off early. The store is filled with the smell of loose tea and bags of pulses. We stock pretty much everything a household might run out of, like soap, oil, or flour. I know most of the families who live around here. They send their kids down with a list of items, and I help them find everything. The shelves go all the way to the ceiling, so I have to use a tall wooden ladder to reach the top rows. It’s a bit rickety, but I’ve used it for years. Sometimes I find things in the back that I forgot we had. The ledger book stays on the main counter, and I spend my quiet moments tallying up the day's sales. It’s a lot of manual work, carrying heavy sacks and restocking the shelves when they get empty. The fan overhead hums constantly, which is the only sound when the shop is empty. I don’t use any computers for the bills, just a pen and paper like I always have. It works fine for us. People know they can find what they need here without any fuss or waiting around too long for the clerk to help them.