Maa Kripa General Stores

Maa Kripa General Stores is right at Pani Darwaza 1. It’s the kind of place where you can find a bit of everything if you look long enough. I have soaps stacked next to bags of lentils and jars of cheap plastic toys for the kids. The shelves go all the way to the top, so I usually have to use a rickety wooden ladder to reach the things people ask for. I’ve been running this store for years, and I know where every single item is kept even in the dark. The light in the back is a bit dim, so it can be hard for customers to see everything. It’s a small space, so things tend to get a bit cluttered. I spend a lot of time counting out small change and writing down what people owe me in a battered notebook. The door stays open all day to let some air in, which means a bit of dust from the street comes in too. People from the neighborhood stop by not just to buy things but to tell me about their families or complain about the heat. It’s not a big supermarket with carts and fancy aisles. It’s just me behind the counter. I try to keep the staples like rice and sugar in stock as much as I can. It’s a steady rhythm of life here at Pani Darwaza and I don't see that changing anytime soon.