Rajesh Kirana

It’s just a small shop here in Mahendru. We've been on Narayan Babu Lane for a long time now. People around Ashok Rajpath usually know where we are. It’s mostly just getting stuff ready in the morning and waiting for the regulars. We keep the usual things you need for a kitchen. Flour, lentils, some spices, maybe some soap if we have it in stock. The lane gets busy in the evenings. Sometimes the power goes out and we just sit there with a torch. It’s not a fancy place. Just shelves with jars and bags piled up. My cousin helps out sometimes when it gets crowded. We know most people by their first names because they've lived in Patna forever. Sometimes we run out of things and have to wait for the truck to come through the traffic. It’s noisy outside with all the horns and people walking to the market. We open early because that’s when the milk comes. Then it stays quiet for a bit till the afternoon. We try to keep things organized but sometimes the bags just end up where there is space. It's a simple life. We deal with whatever the day brings. The counter is old wood and it's seen a lot of years. If you're walking down towards the river side of Mahendru, you might see us. It’s just how it goes here. Nothing more to it. We keep a chair for the older folks who need a rest while they shop. We even have some small candies for the kids and a jar of pickles near the front.