Aman General Store

Aman General Store is just a small place located in Pallavpuram Phase I, right here in Meerut. It’s been sitting on this same corner for quite some time now. I usually open up the shutters around seven in the morning because that is when people start looking for milk and bread. The shop isn't anything fancy to look at. We have rows of metal shelves that are a bit rusty in the corners, but they hold everything from bars of soap to big packets of washing powder. Sometimes the deliveries arrive late and we have boxes stacked up in the middle of the floor, which makes it hard for people to walk through. But nobody seems to mind too much. We know most of the people who live in the Phase I area. They come in for a quick chat while they wait for their change. The ceiling fan makes a clicking noise that I’ve stopped noticing. On hot afternoons, the store stays relatively cool because of the shadows. We don't have a computer system or anything like that. I just use a simple calculator and a blue notebook to keep track of what we owe. It is a quiet life. Kids come in after school with their coins looking for those small orange candies or a new pencil. We just try to keep the basics in stock so no one has to go all the way to the main market. It’s just a regular neighborhood shop.