Shantinath Dry Fruit General Stores

Our shop is number 32 in Koyna Palace, over in Borivali East. It’s a busy spot near the Shantinath area. We sell dry fruits mostly, but like any general store, we have a bit of everything that people ask for. The shelves are packed with jars of walnuts, figs, and different types of seeds. My brother and I run the place. We start the day by setting out the displays on the sidewalk to catch people’s eyes as they walk to the station. It’s a small shop, so we have to be clever about where we put things. The lighting isn't great in the back corner, but we know where everything is. We get a lot of regulars who come in every week for their groceries. They like to chat about the local news or how the train service is running that day. We try to keep the prices reasonable because we know how expensive things are getting these days. Sometimes the stock doesn't arrive on time because of a strike or a truck breakdown, and we have to explain that to the aunties who want their specific brand of ghee. It’s just the two of us, so if one of us is sick, the other has a long day ahead. We don’t have fancy packaging, just plain bags and a scale that’s been calibrated more times than I can count.