Om Sai Kirana Store

Om Sai Kirana Store is a regular spot located at Shivaji Nagar 221. It is mostly just a room filled with sacks of grain and various household items that people in this part of Shivaji Nagar use every day. I open up early because the ladies like to get their cooking supplies before the sun gets too high and the air gets heavy. The counter is made of old wood that has been smoothed down by years of people leaning on it while they wait for me to weigh out their sugar or pulses. It stays pretty busy during the morning hours and then gets quiet when everyone goes home for lunch. There are usually a few stray dogs sleeping in the shade of the building next door. The address 221 isn't hard to find once you are on the main path through the housing blocks. I don't have fancy displays or bright lights, just the stuff that people actually need to run a kitchen. Sometimes the kids come in with a few coins for small treats and they make a bit of a mess near the front, but it is fine. Working here means knowing almost everyone's name and what they usually buy on a Tuesday. It is just a plain kirana store and it doesn't try to be anything else. We just keep the lentils stocked and the floor swept as much as you can sweep a floor in a dusty city like this.