Sairam Stores

We are located at 47 Rahman Nagar, right in the Maharnonbu Chavadi area. It’s a quiet enough spot compared to the main markets, but Sairam Stores stays busy with the families living nearby. Most mornings start early, around six, when the milk packets arrive. We stack them in the cooler and then start sweeping the front. The shelves are always a bit of a mess because kids come in and move things around, but that’s just how it goes. We carry the usual things people need for their kitchens—dal, rice, oil, and small snacks. My father started this place, and I’ve been helping out since I was a teenager. The building is old, and the walls could probably use a new coat of paint, but it feels like home to us. We don't have a big computer system or anything, just a notebook where we keep track of things. Sometimes the electricity cuts out in the afternoons and it gets dark inside, but the neighbors still find their way in. We talk about the local news or the weather while we weigh out the grains. It’s a simple way to make a living. We see the same faces every single day, and they know where everything is kept better than I do sometimes. It’s just a regular neighborhood store where everyone stops to chat for a minute before heading back to their houses. It is a nice way to spend the day.