Lokesh Kirana Store

Down here in Nayapura at Bajrang Nagar 110, we keep a pretty standard local grocery shop. I usually open the shutters around eight in the morning because that’s when people realize they’re out of milk or sugar for their tea. The shop is filled with bags of flour, different kinds of lentils, and all the small things you need in a kitchen. It’s not a supermarket where you wander around with a cart. You just tell me what you need and I get it from the back or the top shelf. I’ve lived in this part of Kota for a long time, so I know most of the families living around Bajrang Nagar. We talk about the local news or the heat while I’m weighing out the rice. The space is a bit tight because I try to fit in as many items as possible. There’s always a delivery bike or a cart blocking the front for a bit while we unload. It’s a bit messy sometimes with the empty crates and boxes, but we manage. I don’t go for any fancy displays. The jars of candy for the kids are right at the front, and everything else is just stacked where it fits. It’s just a simple neighborhood kirana store. People come here because it’s close and they know me. We stay open until ten so that folks coming back from work can grab their supplies.