Vaibhav Provision

I start my day at Vaibhav Provision by rolling up the shutters and letting the morning air in. Our shop is on the Main Road in Deolali Camp, Nashik. It is a basic provision store where we keep big sacks of grain, rice, and flour. The smell of the shop is a mix of spices and laundry soap, which I’ve gotten used to over the years. I spend most of my time weighing things out on the scales and tying up small plastic bags. Most of the people who come here are from the nearby houses and they usually have a long list of things they need for the month. We don't have shopping carts or anything like that; people just tell me what they want and I get it from the back. The wooden counter is smooth from years of use. I don't use any modern billing machines, just a pencil and a pad of paper. Sometimes the power goes out in the afternoon, but the shop stays cool enough because of the thick walls. We know most of our customers by name and we usually chat about the local news while I'm calculating the total. It isn't a fast-paced place. If someone is short a few rupees, they just pay me the next time they walk past. That’s just how we do things at our shop in Deolali.