Mukhtar General Store

Mukhtar General Store is tucked away in the middle of everything near Lal Quila. Hamdard Marg has its own rhythm and we are right there in Lal Kuana. The shop is small and filled to the ceiling with stuff people need every day like soap, pulses, and snacks. It’s been here a long time, maybe longer than some of the buildings around us. You walk in and it smells like spices and old paper. The shelves are wooden and a bit rickety from holding so many tins and packets over the years. We open early when the tea stalls are just starting up and usually don't close until the street lights have been on for hours. It’s a lot of standing and reaching for things on the top shelves with that old wooden ladder. Regulars come in mostly for small bits like a single pack of biscuits or some cooking oil. We know most of them by name or at least by what they usually buy on a Tuesday. The area is always loud with carts and people shouting but inside it’s just the sound of the old radio or a fan. We don't change much around here because people like knowing exactly where the jars of candy are kept. It gets hot in the summer but the stone walls help a little bit. We just keep the inventory moving.