Ankur Genreal Store

Lucknow can get incredibly hot in the summer, and out here on Nadan Mahal Road, you really feel it. Ankur Genreal Store is right on the main road, so we get a lot of dust and noise from the passing rickshaws and cars. It’s a typical local shop where the shelves go all the way up to the ceiling. We keep a ladder handy because half the time what a customer wants is way up at the top. We sell a bit of everything—soaps, notebooks, snacks, and those small packets of spices. It’s usually just a couple of us working here, trying to keep track of what’s running low. The floor is a bit uneven in the back, so you have to watch your step. We don’t have a fancy cooling system, just a couple of ceiling fans that spin as fast as they can all day long. Local residents stop by on their way home to pick up things they missed. We hear a lot of stories about what’s happening in the neighborhood while we’re bagging up groceries. It’s a simple life, being behind the counter from morning until late evening. We know which kids are allowed to buy sweets and which ones are supposed to be buying salt for their mothers. It’s just a normal part of the street, nothing special to look at from the outside, but we’ve got what the locals need to get through their week.