Raj General Store

Our shop is in the New Azad Market area of Indira Nagar here in Lucknow. It is a busy little corner of the city, and the market is always full of people looking for something or the other. Raj General Store is just a humble place where I keep the daily essentials. I have got shelves full of toothpaste, washing powder, and packets of biscuits. The floor is concrete, and I have painted the walls a simple white, though they get scuffed up pretty easily. I spend my time weighing out sugar or pulses for the neighbors. Indira Nagar is a big residential area, so we get a lot of families coming in. I do not use any fancy computers; I just use a simple calculator and a notepad to keep track of things. The fan on the ceiling wobbles a bit when it is on high speed, but it keeps the air moving. Sometimes I have to climb a ladder to get the big containers of oil from the top shelf. It is hard work, but I have been doing it for years now. People stop by to talk about the local news while they wait for their change. It is a very normal, everyday kind of shop. We do not have big signs or bright lights, just the usual stuff you would expect from a general store in Lucknow. I close up when the street lights come on.