Javed Merchant

Javed Merchant is located in the Husainabad Shivpuri area, specifically on Husainabad Road in Lucknow. It’s an old part of the city with a lot of character and narrow streets. We deal in various goods that the local people need for their houses. The shop has been around for some time, and it’s mostly just me and a helper running things. It’s not a fancy setup with air conditioning or glass aisles. We have old wooden counters and shelves that have seen better days. Lucknow is famous for its history, and you can feel that when you walk around Hussainabad. We see a lot of the same faces every day, people who have lived in Shivpuri their whole lives. The road outside can be quite noisy with rickshaws and bikes constantly zooming past. Sometimes it’s hard to hear what a customer is asking for over the sound of the horns. We try to keep a good variety of items so people don't have to go all the way to the bigger markets. It’s a simple business, really. We open the shutters in the morning, sweep the floor, and wait for the first customer. There’s always some news to catch up on with the people from the neighborhood. It’s a steady life, even if the work is sometimes a bit tiring after a long day. We just keep moving.