Amber Store

Out here in Zakhir Nagar, things are always moving fast. The store is at 41371, and it’s right in the middle of all the Okhla activity. The street is pretty narrow, so when a delivery truck comes, everything kind of stops for a minute. I usually open up early before it gets too crowded. The floor is old tile and it’s seen a lot of feet over the years. I don’t have any fancy displays, just wooden shelves that my cousin helped me put up a long time ago. They hold everything we need to keep in stock. The lighting inside is a bit dim towards the back, but we know where everything is kept. Sometimes the kids from the neighborhood come in and they can be a handful when they’re looking at things. I spend a lot of my time writing down what we need to order next on a small notepad that’s mostly full of scribbles. It’s a lot of manual work, lifting boxes and making sure the inventory isn't getting too old. In the winter, it gets quite chilly because the front door stays open all day. I usually have a glass of tea sitting on the counter that gets cold before I can finish it. It's just a regular shop in a busy part of town where people come to get what they need. There is always a bit of dust on the front window.