Shree Sai General Stores

Start early around seven. Ganesh Peth gets crowded fast so I try to get the shutters up before the traffic on G K Road starts hitting. It’s a bit dusty today. Pangul Ali is always like this. We just keep things on the shelves and wait for the regulars. Sometimes the delivery guys take forever because of the narrow lanes. I sit on this old wooden chair mostly. It’s got a bit of a creak now. There is a tea stall nearby and the smell of ginger tea comes in every morning. People come in for small things, maybe a pack of biscuits or some soap. My hands get a bit dirty moving the crates around. The fan overhead doesn’t do much when the sun is right above the shop. I’ve been thinking about painting the back wall but never get around to it. Most days are the same. You see the same faces walking to work. We talk about the weather or the local news. It’s not a big place but it keeps me busy enough. Sometimes I lose track of time just counting the change in the drawer. It’s a simple routine. Nothing fancy happens here. Just a lot of small talk and making sure the jars are full. By evening the streetlights come on and the noise of the bikes gets louder. I usually close up when the sky goes dark. I usually keep a small bowl of sugar out for the ants so they stay away from the biscuit packets.