Ruhela Soda Shop

In Village Jasper, things move a bit slower than they do in the big towns. Our shop, Ruhela Soda Shop, has been a part of this landscape for a while. We are out here in Udham Singh Nagar, and most people here are either farming or working in the nearby areas. When people are done with their work for the day, they often stop by. We don't have fancy chairs or air conditioning. Just a few benches where people can sit for a minute. The soda machine makes a lot of noise, and sometimes we have to kick it to get it started properly. It’s an old machine but it does the job well enough. My father started this, and now I’m the one mostly looking after the daily stuff. The post office is nearby, so we get people coming in after they finish their errands. Jasper is a small place, so I know almost everyone who walks in. We talk about the crops or the local news while the soda fizzes up. Sometimes the electricity goes out, and we have to use candles or a small battery light, but nobody really minds. It’s just how it is here. We keep the place as clean as we can, though the dust from the road always finds its way in. It’s a simple life running a soda shop in a village, but it’s what we know.