Dogra Karyana Stores

Dogra Karyana Stores is located at 2386/9 in the Mony Hotel Gali, which is part of the Bombay Delux Estate in Abdullapur Basti. Our shop is down a bit of a narrow lane, so it’s mostly the local residents who come to see us for their things. We carry all the essential groceries like flour, oil, spices, and tea leaves. The space is quite tight, so we have shelves that go all the way to the ceiling to hold everything we need to keep in stock. We have an old metal ladder that we use to get things down for people, and it makes a loud clanking sound every time we move it across the floor. The floor is made of old concrete and has a few chips in it here and there. We have a ceiling fan that wobbles a bit when it’s on high, but it’s very necessary during the hot months. Most of our work involves measuring out items and chatting with the women from the estate who come in for their daily supplies. We’ve been here for a long time, so we know exactly who likes which brand of tea or how much sugar they usually buy each week. Sometimes the delivery trucks can't get all the way down the narrow Gali, so we have to use a small cart to bring the goods from the main road. It’s hard work, especially when it’s hot outside. We don't have any computers or fancy equipment. We just use a simple notebook to keep track of what we sell and what we need to buy.