Baldev Karyana Stores

Hargobind Nagar is a quiet enough place, and Baldev Karyana Stores is right in the middle of it. We are a traditional grocery shop, what everyone calls a karyana store. The smell inside is a mix of spices, soap, and open bags of flour. I’ve spent most of my life behind this wooden counter. We have jars of sweets for the kids and big sacks of rice for the families. Everything is piled high. Sometimes I have to use a long stick to reach the boxes on the top shelf. I have an old wooden chair that’s been in the family for decades, and it still sits right by the entrance for anyone who wants to rest. It’s not an organized supermarket where everything has a barcode. We know most of our customers by name. We know who prefers which brand of tea and who always forgets to bring their own bag. The mornings are usually the busiest when people are getting stuff for breakfast or lunch. In the afternoon, it gets quiet, and I usually sit and read the newspaper or chat with the neighbor who runs the shop next door. We don't do any big promotions. People come here because we are close by and we have what they need for their kitchen. It’s a lot of weighing out lentils and tying up small plastic bags. It’s steady work and it keeps us busy.