Suraj General Stores

Suraj General Stores is located at Shop Number 5 in Santoshi Nagar. We are in Bhandup West, specifically the Mirzapur area near the Santoshi Mata Mandir. The shop is small, but we cram a lot of stuff into it. We’ve got everything from sacks of rice to individual packets of biscuits. I spend my whole day standing behind the counter, weighing things out and chatting with the locals. The temple is right there, so on festival days, the whole street gets packed with people. It’s a loud and lively neighborhood. I’ve lived in Bhandup my whole life, so I know almost everyone who walks through the door. We don't have any fancy scanners or self-checkout aisles. I just know the prices and write them down in my yellow book. Sometimes we run out of bread early in the morning, and I have to tell the regulars to come back later. The shelves are a bit dusty, and the floor could use a scrub, but it’s a working store. My son helps out after school sometimes, but mostly it’s just me. We don't do deliveries or anything like that. If you need something, you just walk over and get it. It’s a simple business, but it keeps the family going and lets me stay connected with the neighbors. I don't think I will ever leave this spot. It is part of who I am now, and I like seeing the kids grow up and start buying their own groceries here.