Raju General & Provision Store

The shop has been here in Keshavpura for a good many years now. I started it when there weren't so many houses around this part of Kota. Every morning I open up early, usually around seven, to get the milk crates inside before the sun gets too hot. People come in for all sorts of things, from basic soap to those specific lentils they like for dinner. It is a bit cramped inside because I try to keep everything anyone might ask for on the shelves. Sometimes the dust from the road gets in, and I spend half my time wiping down the biscuit packets. My son helps out after his college classes, which is good because my back isn't what it used to be. We know most of the faces that walk through the door. It’s not a fancy place with bright lights or anything like that. Just a regular store where you can get your daily needs without much fuss. The fans hum all day long to keep us cool. If we don’t have something, I usually tell people to come back in two days after the supply truck comes. Life here is steady, and the shop is just part of the neighborhood fabric now. We keep the books by hand mostly. It works for us. I don't think I will ever change how we do things here. It's just home to me.