Delightful Provivsional Store

Down in Safa Kadal Sarai, near Nawa Bazar, we have this little spot called Delightful Provisional Store. The name might sound a bit more cheerful than the actual building looks, but it serves its purpose. We deal with the basic stuff people need for their kitchens and homes. Srinagar has a lot of these small stores, and we are just one of them tucked into a corner. The walls are lined with wooden planks that we put up years ago to hold the weight of all the canned goods and bags. It’s a bit dark inside even during the day, so we keep a few bulbs burning near the back. People come in from the Nawa Bazar area throughout the day, usually looking for something they ran out of mid-way through cooking. I spend a lot of time dusting off the tops of bottles because the street outside kicks up a lot of dirt. We don’t have a website or a big sign, just the name written above the door. The floor is made of old concrete that has a few cracks running through it. We handle everything ourselves, from unloading the trucks to bagging up the sugar. It’s hard work on the back, especially when the heavy sacks arrive. We just try to stay open and keep the shelves filled so the neighbors don’t have to go too far to find what they need.