Chootu General Store & Pitthi Bhandar

If you walk down Bhajanpura Galli No. 1, you’ll see Chootu General Store & Pitthi Bhandar right at C-62. We are pretty much directly opposite the main Bhajanpura Bus Stop, so it’s easy to find us if you’re getting off the bus. The store is usually quite busy because of the location. We have sacks of pitthi and all sorts of general items stacked up. It’s a small space, so things are piled high to make room for everything. The floor is swept often but with people coming in and out all day, it’s hard to keep it perfectly clean. We’ve been here for a long time, and most of the people who come in are regulars from the neighborhood. We know what they need before they even ask sometimes. It gets loud with the buses honking right outside, but you stop noticing it after a while. The shelves are a bit old and maybe a little crooked in some spots. We don't have a fancy billing system; we just write things down or remember them. It’s a local shop for local people. When it rains, we have to pull the awning down to keep the entrance dry. It’s a lot of work staying on your feet all day, but it’s what we do. We don't have a mission statement or anything like that. We just open the shutters in the morning and close them at night. It is a simple life here.