Pragati Super Shoppe

The shop sits on a corner in Kothrud 17. Most mornings start around seven when the milk crates arrive and sit on the pavement. It’s usually quiet then, just the sound of the shutters going up. Inside, the shelves are packed pretty tight with everything from pulses to washing soaps. We try to keep things where people can find them, but sometimes things get moved around. There’s a lot of dust from the road outside, so wiping down the counters is a constant job. People from the nearby buildings come in mostly for small things they forgot during their big grocery run. Sometimes it's just a packet of biscuits or a bottle of cold drink when the sun is out. The fan in the corner makes a bit of a clicking noise, but it keeps the air moving. We’ve had the same wooden counter for a long time now. It’s got scratches and marks from years of heavy bags being dragged across it. In the evenings, it gets quite crowded, and the narrow aisles make it hard for two people to pass each other. We mostly know the regulars by their faces and what they usually buy. If someone is short a few rupees, we just write it down in the diary. It’s a simple way of doing things. The electricity goes out sometimes in the afternoon, so we just keep the door open for light. It is just a normal neighborhood shop where people come to get their daily stuff.