Dharam Pal Sharma Kiryana Store

Our store is tucked into the Main Market area of Ludhiana where it is always loud and crowded. Dharam Pal Sharma Kiryana Store has seen many changes on this street over the decades. I remember when there were fewer cars and more cycles, but now it is a struggle just to cross the road. We deal in all sorts of grains and spices that we keep in large open bags or plastic jars. The smell of turmeric and red chili powder is always hanging in the air here. It makes some people sneeze when they first walk in. My father started this and now I handle the daily work with some help from a local boy. We have a regular routine of weighing out portions and wrapping them in paper or plastic bags. In the winter, the mornings are very cold and we huddle around a small heater while waiting for the first customers. Usually, it is the ladies from the nearby houses coming to get fresh supplies for the day's cooking. We don't really do any big advertising or anything like that. People just know we are here in the market. Sometimes the electricity goes out and we have to use candles or a torch to find the right pulse for a customer. It is a bit messy sometimes with boxes stacked up, but we know where everything is kept. We just keep things moving along as they always have.