Safe General Stores

We are located in Habib Apartment, Shop No 2/C, right in the Byculla area. It’s close to the Rajiv Gandhi IT Park and not far from the Palace Cinema, which is a big landmark around here. The shop has been a part of this neighborhood for quite some time. We sell the usual things people need for their homes—soap, snacks, notebooks, and whatever else folks stop in for on their way back from work. Being near the IT park means we see a lot of people in office clothes during the day, while the evenings are more for the families living in the nearby apartments. It’s a small space, so every inch of the walls is covered with shelves. Sometimes I have to use a long stick to reach the items at the very top. The floor is made of old tile that's seen a lot of feet over the years. I usually open up early in the morning before the sun gets too hot. The noise from the traffic near Kishangarh is constant, but you stop hearing it after a while. We don’t do anything fancy with the window displays; we just put out what’s new or what people are asking for lately. It’s a regular shop for regular people. I spend most of my day behind the counter, chatting with whoever comes in or checking the stock levels. It’s a simple life, keeping the shelves full and the shop open for the neighborhood. (260 words)