Jai Maa General Store

Our shop is located on J.N. Road in the Udayganj area of Lucknow. It is called Jai Maa General Store. We are right in the middle of a busy neighborhood, so there is always something going on outside. The shop is filled with all the basic things a household needs—cooking oil, pulses, sugar, and some snacks for the kids. It’s a bit cramped inside because we try to fit as much as we can on the shelves. We’ve been here in Lucknow for a good while. The traffic on J.N. Road can be a bit much sometimes, but it brings people to our door. We open early because that’s when people realize they’ve run out of milk or tea leaves. It’s just us working here, so if it gets busy, people have to wait a minute. We don't have any fancy computer systems; we just write things down or remember them. It is a very traditional way of doing things, but it works for us. We know most of the people who live in the lanes behind the shop. Sometimes we just sit and watch the world go by when it’s quiet. It is a lot of work, but it is our own thing. We just keep the store going day by day, making sure we have enough stock for the morning rush. It feels good to be a part of the local community here.