Sarkar General Store

If you walk through the Chowk area in Lucknow and head toward Thakurganj, you will find my shop. It is tucked into Hata Mirza Ali Khan and it has been in the family for years. Being in this part of the city means there is always noise and people moving about. We call it Sarkar General Store. I sell a lot of stuff that people use in their kitchens like salt, lentils, and different types of flour. The space is a bit cramped because I try to fit as much as possible inside. I have these old wooden cabinets that my father built, and they still hold up pretty well. Customers come in and we chat about the local news or the price of vegetables while I weigh out their items. It gets really hot in the summer, so I have a small table fan that barely does anything, but I stay anyway. Lucknow is known for its food, and I make sure I have the right spices that the local ladies ask for. I don't have a computer or anything, I just do the math in my head or on a small calculator. It is a humble place and I don't try to make it look like those big supermarkets. It is just a regular corner shop for the neighborhood people who want to buy things without any fuss.