Shyam Sundar General Store

The Mewalal Market in Anisabad is always a bit of a mess, but that’s just how it is in Patna. Our place, Shyam Sundar General Store, is right in the thick of it on the Khagaul Road. Being near the Bank of Baroda means there are always people walking past our door. I spend my days squeezing between stacks of crates and bags of flour. Space is tight here, so everything is piled up high toward the ceiling. You have to know exactly where the hidden stuff is, like the specific brand of tea someone might ask for. The noise from the market is constant, with people shouting and rickshaws honking, but after a few years, you just stop hearing it. I usually have a cup of tea sitting on the counter that gets cold because I’m busy weighing out sugar or pulses for a customer. The walls have some old posters on them that have faded over time. We don't have a big marketing plan or anything; we just open the doors and help whoever comes in. Sometimes the power goes out and we have to use a flashlight to find things in the back corners. It’s a lot of manual labor, lifting heavy bags and standing on my feet all day, but it’s what we do. People come here because they know we have the basics and we’ve been here for a long time without changing much.