Aashish General Stores

Up here in Kadamkuan on Daldali Road, things have changed a lot over the years, but the shop stays mostly the same. I remember when there were fewer cars and more cycles, but now it’s all noise and horns. I keep the shelves packed with whatever people ask for most. If someone asks for a specific soap two or three times, I’ll try to get it in the next batch. It’s a lot of lifting and moving boxes around, which keeps me moving. My wife sometimes brings me lunch from the house, and we sit on the small bench at the back. We have everything from notebooks for the school kids to the big bags of atta that the families need. The walls could probably use a new coat of paint, but I never seem to find the time to empty the place out to do it. It’s a bit of a squeeze when the delivery guys bring in the new stock, and we have to shuffle everything around to make it fit. I like the routine of it all, opening the locks at eight and seeing the same faces. We aren't doing anything fancy here, just selling groceries and household bits to the folks who live around the corner. Patna is a busy city, and this little corner of it is my whole world most days. I’ll keep doing it as long as I can. It is just a simple way to make a living for us.