Geol General Store

Over in the Khini Mohhala part of Abdullapur in Meerut, our shop is a familiar sight for the people living nearby. It’s called Geol General Store, and we’ve been operating from this same spot for quite a while. The shop is located in a narrow lane, so it stays relatively cool even when the sun is out in the middle of summer. We sell all the usual things you’d expect—cooking ingredients, toiletries, and some basic stationery. We try to keep the prices fair because we know everyone in the neighborhood and they know us. It’s not the kind of place where you’d find luxury items, just the practical stuff. Sometimes we have to move boxes around just to make a path for people to walk to the counter. The shelves are made of old wood and they creak a little when we put heavy jars on them. We spend a lot of time checking the expiry dates and making sure everything is fresh. On rainy days, the water drips off the awning and we have to put a bucket out, which is just part of the routine. We don't have a big team, usually just one or two of us here to help people find what they need. It’s a quiet existence for the most part, punctuated by the sounds of the neighborhood and the occasional delivery truck trying to navigate the tight corners. We are just here for the daily needs of the colony.