Wazahat General Store

Running Wazahat General Store in the Thakurganj area of Lucknow has been my daily routine for many years now. This part of Lucknow is very traditional, and our shop fits right in. We are located right in the middle of the neighborhood, so we get a lot of local foot traffic. It’s a general store in the truest sense. You can find anything from a single safety pin to a five-kilo bag of rice. The shop is a bit old-fashioned, with wooden shelves that have seen better days, but it serves its purpose. I usually open up early in the morning after my prayers and stay until the street lights come on. My son helps me out in the afternoons when the school children come in for pens and notebooks. We have a lot of regular customers who have been coming to us since they were kids. It’s nice to see them growing up and now bringing their own children to the shop. We don't really bother with advertisements or anything like that. People know where we are. The lanes in Thakurganj are narrow, so we don't get many cars, mostly just people walking or on cycles. We keep it simple and honest. If we don't have something, we tell you clearly or try to get it for you by the next day. It's a small business, but it’s our life and we are proud of it.