Raj General Store

Raj General Store is located on the Bangla Bazar side of Jail Road. It’s a small shop, but we pack a lot of different items into the space we have. Being near Ashiyana Road and right opposite the Allahabad Bank helps people find us without much trouble. I spend my days mostly sitting near the entrance on a small stool, greeting people and weighing out grains or sugar. It's a bit of a dusty job sometimes, but I like being my own boss and running things my way. Lucknow is a nice place to live, and this neighborhood is quite settled and quiet at night. We sell things like cooking oil, spices, and various cleaning supplies. Nothing very exciting, but all essential things for a household. The building is quite old, and the paint is peeling a bit on the corners, but the roof stays dry during the monsoon. We’ve seen other shops in the area come and go, but we’ve managed to stay right here. I don't use much technology; I prefer writing things down in my paper ledger. It helps me remember what people might owe and what I need to order for next week. The summers are definitely the hardest because of the intense heat, but we have a good fan to keep the air moving. We don't have any big signs or advertisements. People know us simply because we’ve been here for so long. It’s a lot of small talk and making sure everyone gets their change correctly. It’s just a simple way to spend the day, making sure the local families have what they need.