Nirmal Kirana Store

Hanuman Gali is a narrow little street off Surajpole, and that is where you will find Nirmal Kirana Store. Because the lane is so tight, we do not get big trucks coming right to the door. We have to carry the crates and sacks in by hand from the main road. The shop is cozy, or maybe just small, depending on how you look at it. We have shelves packed tight with everything from matchboxes to big bags of flour. There is usually a faint smell of incense because of the small shrine we keep near the cash box. People from the nearby houses come in all through the day. Sometimes they just need one onion or a small packet of biscuits. We know most of our customers by their first names since they have been coming here for years. The light inside is a bit dim, but we know exactly where every single item is kept. Even in the dark, I could probably find the turmeric or the salt. It gets a bit crowded during the evening hours when everyone is making dinner and realizes they forgot something. We just keep moving, weighing things out and chatting with the neighbors. It is not the kind of place with bright lights and music. It is just a quiet corner in Hanuman Gali where you can get your kitchen supplies without any fuss. We close the wooden shutters at night and head home.