Shitala Kirana Store

Mahaveer Udhyog Nagar is mostly an area with small workshops and factories, so our shop sees a lot of the workers who are looking for something to eat or drink during their breaks. We also get the families who live in the nearby blocks. It’s a busy environment with the sound of machinery and trucks moving nearby all day long. Inside the shop, we try to keep a bit of everything, from sacks of rice to small packets of biscuits. We don't have a lot of space, so we have to stack things pretty high up towards the ceiling. Sometimes it's a bit of a struggle to reach the items on the top shelf with our old ladder. We usually open up early in the morning before the shifts start at the nearby units. It’s a lot of work keeping the inventory sorted, especially when several people come in at once wanting different things. The counter is just a simple wooden table where we do all the weighing and packing. We go through a lot of paper bags and string every day. It’s not a polished looking place, just a practical shop for practical people who need their groceries. We don't have any air conditioning, just a ceiling fan that wobbles a little when it’s on high. It’s just how things are in this part of town, and we’re used to the noise and the pace of the industrial area.