Shankar General Store

If you ever find yourself at Telephone Chauraha in Jhunsi, you’ll see where we are. Shankar General Store is right in the middle of all that movement. Allahabad, or Prayagraj as many call it now, is a place where there’s always something happening. The 211019 area gets pretty loud with all the rickshaws and bikes buzzing through the intersection. My day is mostly filled with the sound of horns and people shouting over the noise. The shop is a simple place. I don’t have any assistants, so I do everything myself. I unload the boxes, arrange the biscuits and soaps, and handle the cash. It gets very hot in the summer, and the dust from the crossroads is a constant struggle. I keep a cloth handy to wipe down the counter every hour. People stop here because it’s a natural meeting point at the Chauraha. Some people just come in to change a big note or ask for the time. It’s a practical life. I don’t use any complicated systems. Everything is kept in its place on the old wooden racks. The evening is the busiest time when everyone is heading home from work. It’s a lot of quick transactions and short conversations. By the time I close up, the street lights are the only thing left glowing. It’s just a regular shop in a busy part of Jhunsi. That is how the days go by for us.