Raj Food Store

This shop at Plot No.58 on Yellareddy Road is where I spend most of my time. Raj Food Store isn't very big, but we try to keep the shelves filled with what people in Banswada actually need. It’s mostly just the basics. Flour, rice, some pulses, and whatever else comes in that week. Some mornings are quiet, then suddenly five people are at the counter wanting something at once. I usually have a tea in the afternoon while waiting for the next delivery truck to show up. The floors need a sweep more often than I get to it. Sometimes the neighbors stop by just to talk for a bit before buying a packet of something. It's a bit crowded inside when we get a big shipment of sacks. Moving things around takes up half the day. My son helps out when he isn't busy with other things. We’ve been at this location for a good bit now. People recognize the sign even if the paint is peeling a little at the corners. It’s just a normal neighborhood store. Nothing fancy about it. We just open up early and close when it gets dark enough. It's a living. Sometimes the bags get a bit dusty, but we wipe them down before selling. We don't have any of those modern checkout machines, just a simple calculator and a cash drawer.