Jyoti Kirana Store

The noise from the New Bus Stand is something you never really get used to, but it is part of life at Jyoti Kirana Store. We are right there in Keshav Nagar, and the shop is usually full of dust from the buses pulling in and out all day long. We spend a lot of time weighing out lentils and flour into small plastic bags. It is a simple routine that keeps us busy from morning until late at night. The shelves are packed tight with soaps, spices, and tins of oil. Sometimes it is hard to find what a customer wants right away because we have so much stuff crammed into a small space. We have an old wooden counter that has been rubbed smooth over the years. We know most of the people who live in the nearby blocks. They come in for a bit of salt or a packet of biscuits and stay to talk about the weather or the local news. It’s not a quiet place to work. You hear the conductors shouting and the engines idling while you’re trying to count change. We keep a ledger for the regulars, though we try to keep things simple. It’s a lot of lifting heavy sacks and making sure the rats stay away from the grain. We just do our bit to keep the neighborhood supplied with the basics they need for their kitchens.