Royal General Store

If you go down G.T Road near Gur Mandi, you’ll find my store. It’s a general store, so we have a bit of everything piled up. Soap, lentils, snacks, and stuff for the kitchen fill the shelves. Because I try to fit as much as possible, the space is very tight. If you aren't careful, things sometimes fall over. Since the market is always busy and dusty, I spend a lot of time cleaning off the jars. During festival times, my family helps out when things get really busy. Instead of a computerized billing system, we just use a thick notebook and a calculator. It works fine for us. Customers usually come in with a list written on a scrap of paper. Grabbing what they need means I have to move around the shop a lot. We’ve been in this spot for years. The concrete floor shows its age quite clearly. Near the counter, I keep a fan running, but it doesn't do much in the peak of summer. Lifting heavy sacks of flour and sugar is a lot of work. Some days my back hurts, but that's part of the job. Knowing most of the neighbors and what they usually buy makes it easier. If someone forgets their wallet, letting them pay later isn't a problem. It’s a small community feeling even though we’re on a major road. Buying your daily needs like milk or bread is what people come here for. The storefront gets sun, so I pull the shutter down halfway.