Bharat Kumar Shiv Kumar Kirana & General Store

Kota Junction Kasim Gali is a tight spot but that is where you will find us. Bharat Kumar Shiv Kumar Kirana & General Store has been our family thing for a long time. The street is narrow so the delivery trucks have a hard time getting close, which means we carry a lot of bags by hand. In the morning, the smell of open spice bags is very strong, especially the turmeric and the red chili powder. We keep all the daily stuff like lentils, rice, soaps, and those small packets of biscuits kids like. It stays pretty dark inside the shop because of how the buildings are close together in Kasim Gali, but we have a couple of tube lights that do the job. My father used to sit on the same wooden bench where I sit now. Dealing with the change is the hardest part because everyone brings big notes for small items. We have stacks of gunny bags near the entrance that we use as extra seating sometimes when the elders come to talk. It gets hot in the summer because the air doesn't move much in the lane. We just drink a lot of cold water from the clay pot in the corner. It is a busy life, always weighing things out on the scale and tying up plastic bags with that thin twine. It isn't fancy, just a store for the people living around the junction who need their daily supplies.