Mukesh Stores

Mukesh Stores has been on the 5th Main in Shukrawar Peth, 2nd stage, at number 756 for a long time. This is a general store where we try to keep a bit of everything. If a neighbor runs out of salt or needs a new lightbulb, they come here. It’s a lot of heavy lifting, moving crates of milk and sacks of grains every morning. My back usually hurts by the time we close at night. The shelves are packed tight because we don't have much room. Sometimes it’s hard to find things if someone moved them, but I usually know where everything is. The 5th Main street is always full of people moving around. We get a lot of older folks who have been living in Shukrawar Peth their whole lives. They like to complain about the prices or the weather, and I just listen while I bag their groceries. We don't have a computer system, just a notebook where I write things down if someone needs to pay me later. It’s based on trust mostly. The shop gets a bit dark in the corners but we have a big fan to keep the air moving. It’s a steady life. We aren't trying to compete with those big supermarkets. We just want to make sure the people on our block have what they need for their kitchens. It’s honest work and it keeps us going.