Prabhat Kirana Store

Makbara Bazar is one of those old places with narrow lanes where you have to move aside for every bike that passes. Prabhat Kirana Store is at number 143, and it’s been there for a long time. The smell of turmeric and dried chilies is very strong as soon as you step inside. I spend most of my time digging my hands into sacks of lentils or grain to fill up orders. We don't have fancy packaging here. Everything is sold by weight and put into brown paper bags. The wooden counter is worn smooth from all the coins and bags slid across it over the years. I have to keep the door closed halfway sometimes because of the dust from the street. It’s a family thing, my father ran it before me and I just kept going. We know exactly who likes which brand of tea and who wants their spices ground extra fine. The ceiling is high and we use long hooks to pull down packets of snacks hanging from the rafters. It’s not the easiest place to work because it gets very cramped when more than two people are inside. But it’s home. I know every creak in the floorboards. On hot afternoons, the breeze doesn't really reach this far into the bazar, so we just drink a lot of cold water and wait for the evening rush. It is a quiet life inside a loud market.