Ashok Provision Stores

Being near the Civil Court at units 46 and 47 on Gill Road means we see a lot of different faces every day. Ashok Provision Stores is tucked in there, and it’s mostly just us handling the bags and the registers. The court crowd brings in a lot of people looking for quick things, but we also have the locals who have lived here for decades. We have two units, which helps with keeping the heavier sacks of grain and flour in one spot while the other side is for smaller items like soaps and spices. It’s often dusty because of all the construction and traffic on Gill Road. I spend a lot of time checking the lists and making sure we didn't run out of salt or sugar. Sometimes the delivery trucks are late and it gets stressful trying to tell customers to come back later. My hands are usually covered in some kind of flour or dust from the packages. It’s not a quiet job by any means. There’s always someone shouting or a horn honking outside. We just keep the shop open and do what needs doing. It gets hot in the afternoons, so we have a small fan that mostly just moves the warm air around. People stop by to chat as much as they do to buy stuff. That's just how the neighborhood works around here, and we're just part of the daily routine for most folks. I usually end the day by sweeping the front step, though it’s dirty again by the next morning.