Rajni Gandha Store

Our little shop, Rajni Gandha Store, is tucked away in the Nayatola area of Patna. It has been sitting on this street for a long time now. Most of the people who come in are folks I have known since I was much younger. They come for their daily essentials, maybe some oil or a bit of tea powder. The shelves are packed pretty tight, sometimes so much that a packet of chips might fall off if you aren't careful. I spend a lot of time writing down what we need to order next in a small notebook with a blue cover. The rain sometimes leaks a bit near the front door during the monsoon, so we keep some old newspapers handy to soak it up. It isn't a huge place, just a simple room filled with the things families in Hajipur need. I like the sound of the bicycles passing by outside. Usually, the kids from the neighborhood come in after school looking for some small sweets or a new pen. I keep those things low down where they can see them easily. It is a quiet kind of work, mostly just waiting for the next customer and making sure the jars of pulses are full. Patna can be a hot place in the summer, so we keep the fan running all day. It’s just a normal day-to-day business for us here. We don't do much besides keeping the stock ready for everyone.