Nitin General Shop

Running Nitin General Shop in Tambakoo Mandi is a full-time job that never really stops from dawn to dusk. We are right here in the Chaupatiyan part of Lucknow, not far from the Talha Masjid. You can always tell exactly what time it is by the crowd coming out of the mosque after prayers. The shop is tucked away in these busy lanes where the air always smells like a mix of tobacco and spices from the market nearby. I usually get here very early to sweep the front step and check what we ran out of the day before. We have all the small things people need daily, like soap, biscuits, and cleaning supplies. It isn't a glamorous place by any means, just a room with wooden shelves that have been here longer than I have. The ceiling is high and the walls are a bit faded, but it stays cool enough even when it's boiling outside. I know most of my customers by their first names because they live just a few doors down or in the apartments right upstairs. We talk about the prices of things going up and how the weather is changing this month. Sometimes my son comes in to help me when I need to go get more stock from the bigger wholesalers across town. It’s a tight squeeze in here when more than three people enter at once, but we always make it work somehow. I like being in this part of Lucknow. It feels alive and everyone looks out for each other.