Jai Durga Stores

If you walk around Malad West 5, you’ll eventually pass by Jai Durga Stores. We’re that corner shop with crates stacked up near the entrance. It’s a bit of a squeeze inside because we try to keep everything people might need. From soap to snacks and pulses, the shelves are pretty packed. My father started this place, and now I’m the one mostly sitting behind the cash box. It gets dusty, and I spend a lot of time wiping down the glass jars where we keep the loose biscuits. We get the morning rush when everyone realizes they ran out of milk or sugar. Then it gets quiet for a few hours in the afternoon. That’s when I do the accounts or check what’s running low. Malad is a crowded place, so there’s always someone coming in asking for directions or a quick item. We don't use any high-tech systems here, just a pen and a notebook mostly. Sometimes we forget to restock one specific thing and customers have to wait a day, but they’re mostly neighbors and they understand. The shop feels like home because I spend more time here than in my actual house. It’s not shiny or new, but it’s reliable and we know where every single item is hidden on the high shelves. We keep the lights on until late because you never know who might need something at the last minute. It’s just a regular store for regular people living their lives around here.