Dilip General Stores

Budhwar Peth is always crowded, and Dilip General Stores is right in the thick of it on 2nd street. Our address is 885, near the Evening Bazar. The shop is filled with the scent of spices, soap, and raw grains. We sell a little bit of everything that a household might need for their kitchen. There are bags of rice stacked near the entrance and jars of candy on the counter for the kids. I have been standing behind this counter for more years than I can really count. My back usually aches by the time we close the shop at nine. We don't have a supermarket layout; you just ask for what you want and I get it for you. Some of the shelves are so high I need a sturdy wooden stool to reach the top items. The floor is old tile that has faded over time from people walking in. We get our supplies from the wholesale market every few days. It is a lot of work checking the weights and making sure nothing is expired in the back. Sometimes the neighbor’s cat comes in and sits on the grain sacks until I shoo it away. The ledger is always open on the desk for recording credit for the neighbors. We know almost everyone who walks through the door by name. It’s not a fancy life, but it keeps us busy and fed. The ceiling fan wobbles a bit on high speed, but it still works well enough.