Shri Balaji Departmental Store

You can find us at 1818/34-B, 1, in the Chander Nagar area of Ludhiana. Shri Balaji Departmental Store is the name on the board, though it is a bit faded now. Chander Nagar is a busy residential spot, so we stay fairly occupied most of the day. The store is filled with all the departmental bits you would expect, from kitchen staples to cleaning supplies. We try to keep things organized, but in a small space like this, items tend to pile up. The morning is usually spent taking deliveries from the wholesalers. It is a bit of a juggle getting the crates inside without blocking the whole aisle. Customers start trickling in around nine, mostly looking for milk or bread. Then it’s a steady stream of people all day long. We don't have any fancy air conditioning, just a couple of wall fans that work hard during the Ludhiana summers. The floor is old tile and the counter is scratched up from years of sliding bags across it. It has a real lived-in feel, which I think people like. It’s not like those big supermarkets where everything is cold and quiet. Here, there is always some noise and someone asking after your family. We just keep the shelves full and the lights on, making sure the people of Chander Nagar have a place to get their groceries. It is a lot of standing, but that is the job.