Mukesh Provision Store

The shutters go up early at Mukesh Provision Store because the folks around Rampura Bazar start their day pretty quick. We've been sitting here for a good while now, surrounded by sacks of pulses and boxes of soap. It gets dusty sometimes with all the carts going by outside, but that is just how the market is. Most of the day is spent weighing out things or looking for that one specific brand of tea someone's grandmother likes. The shelves aren't always perfectly lined up because we are constantly reaching for stuff. There is a lot of talking too. People don’t just buy their oil and leave; they tell us about the rain or the price of onions. We keep the registers going and try to remember who needs what next time they come around. It’s a lot of lifting and moving boxes in the back room, which is smaller than it looks. Sometimes the power goes out and we just sit there in the dim light until it comes back, chatting with whoever is inside. It is not fancy here. There are stacks of biscuits near the door and a cooling fridge that hums a bit too loud in the afternoons. The ceiling fan has a slight hum that we don't even notice anymore until a customer points it out. We keep a small stool by the door for the elderly folks who need a rest after walking through the bazar. It’s just how things are done here.