H M Jaju General Stores

H M Jaju General Stores has been sitting here at 558 Somwar Peth for a long time. We are right near the Daruwala Bridge, so the sound of traffic is pretty much the background music to our day in Pune. The shop is in one of those older buildings where the walls are thick and the ceiling is high. We have wooden racks that go all the way up, and sometimes we have to use a small stool to reach the stuff on top. We carry all sorts of general items, from stationery to cleaning supplies and snacks. It is the kind of place where you can find a bit of everything if you look long enough. The floor has seen better days, worn down by years of people walking in and out. We usually have a radio playing somewhere in the back, mostly just for some noise during the slow afternoon hours. When the bridge gets backed up with cars, we see people hopping out to grab a bottle of water or some gum. It’s a busy corner of the city, but inside the shop, it feels a bit slower. We spend our time counting out items and writing down what we need to order next. There is no fancy setup, just us and the goods we sell. It’s a bit messy sometimes with boxes lying around, but we know where everything is kept and the regulars know us too.