Venkateshswara Kirana Store

Venkateshswara Kirana Store has been sitting here on Yadavali Road for a good while now. Number 19/7 isn't hard to find if you know the Maddikera area, though the street signs are a bit faded these days. Every morning I pull up the metal shutter and the sound echoes down the block, letting the neighbors know we are open for the day. It’s mostly just me and a bit of help in the afternoons when the heavy sacks of grain arrive. Handling the kirana business means your hands are always a little dusty from flour or sugar. I try to keep the bags stacked neatly against the back wall, but they always seem to lean a bit to the left. The light inside the shop is a bit dim towards the back, so I have to keep a flashlight handy to find the smaller spice packets. Maddikera gets quite hot in the summer months, and the stone floor of the shop feels good under my feet. We get a lot of regulars who don’t even have to say what they need anymore, I just reach for their usual brand of tea or oil. There’s a small radio on the shelf that mostly plays old songs, though the reception isn't great. I spend a lot of time just checking the ledgers and making sure we didn't run out of the basics. It’s not a complicated way to run a business, just staying put and seeing who walks through the door. I’ll just stay here as long as the road stays open.