Balli Karyana Store

The Bazaar Area in Ludhiana is never really quiet, and Balli Karyana Store sits right in the middle of all that noise. I wake up early to beat the crowd and get the shutters up before the sun gets too high. Inside, it smells like raw flour and spices because we keep a lot of bulk sacks in the back. Moving those heavy bags of grains is the hardest part of the job, and my back usually feels it by noon. I do not have any fancy displays, just solid wooden shelves that have been here for years. The floor is made of old stone that has worn smooth over time from so many people walking on it. Customers here are usually in a hurry, shouting their orders over the sound of the traffic outside. I try to keep the change ready in the drawer so things move along fast. Sometimes the tea stall next door brings over a glass, and I drink it while sitting on a sack of lentils. Ludhiana winters are tough, and I have to wrap up in a heavy shawl while I work. In the summer, the heat is just something you deal with. There is always something to do, like checking the weights or tidying up the spice jars. It is a plain place, but it serves its purpose for the people living around the bazaar. We stay open late most nights because that is when the workers head home.