Shri Sai Nath Kirana Store

I've been at Plot No.300/32 in Bahadur Ganj for quite some time now. People around Allahabad know us because we are right near Pili Kothi and Sulakhi Chauraha. It’s a busy spot. Running a kirana store like this means waking up early to open the shutters before the milk arrives. Most days, I’m just arranging packets of flour or stacking soap bars on the wooden shelves. It gets a bit dusty with all the traffic passing by the chauraha, but that’s just how it is here. I spend a lot of time chatting with neighbors who come in for a single pouch of oil or some loose sugar. We don't have fancy computers or anything. I use a simple notebook to keep track of who owes what and what needs to be ordered from the city market. Sometimes the electricity goes out in the afternoon, so we just sit on the bench outside until it comes back. My son helps out after school, mostly moving the heavy bags of rice around. It’s hard work, standing on your feet all day, but it’s what we do. We know everyone in the lane by name. If someone is short a few rupees, I just tell them to pay next time. It’s not a big company, just a local shop in Bahadur Ganj where we try to keep things moving day after day.