M S General Store

This shop is situated on Paper Mill Road in Nishatganj, Lucknow. We are very close to the Bhikhampur Masjid, so people usually use that as a landmark to find us. It’s a small shop but we try to keep a bit of everything so that people don't have to go all the way to the big market. We have things like milk, eggs, bread, and various snacks for the children. The area around the mosque is always full of life and there are people walking by at all hours. Our shop has a small front and inside it’s quite narrow with shelves going all the way up to the ceiling. We use a ladder to reach the things stored on the top. Sometimes the cats from the neighborhood come and sit near the door, waiting for a bit of scrap or just watching the people. We keep the shop open during the day and close it for a bit in the afternoon when it’s too hot and quiet. The evening is our busiest time when everyone is coming back from work or going to the mosque for prayers. We have been part of this street for a long time and we know almost every face that passes by. It’s not a fancy place with bright lights, just a simple local store with a fan and a small light bulb over the counter. We mostly just talk to customers about the local news while we pack their groceries into bags.