Manoj General Store

Our little spot on Campwell Road is right at the Kishore Ganj Churaha in Balaganj. Being at a crossroads means there is never a quiet moment, especially with the buses and autos honking all day. Lucknow can be a busy place, and this corner is no different. The shop is filled with the scent of spices and the faint smell of the kerosene we used to keep in the back. We have got all the daily essentials like milk, curd, and different types of biscuits in colorful wrappers. I spend a lot of time checking the dates on the milk packets and making sure the fridge is cold enough. The counter is a bit scratched up from years of sliding coins and bags across it. I keep a small radio on a shelf that plays local news or songs, which helps pass the time when the afternoon gets slow. The neighbors around Balaganj are good people, and they often come in just to complain about the traffic at the churaha. We don't use any fancy systems here, just a simple hand-written bill if someone really needs one. Usually, people just pay their bits and move on. It's a modest business, but it serves the people living in the nearby lanes. We try to keep the most popular items right at the front so people can grab them quickly and get out of the heat.