Javid Provisional Store

Up here in Srinagar, specifically in the Chattabal area, things move at a different pace. Javid Provisional Store is right near the HMS Hospital, so we get quite a few people coming in for supplies while they are visiting relatives. The landmark everyone knows is the water tank in Mugal Mohalla. My shop is small and can get very cold in the winter months. I keep a small heater near my feet, but the draft from the door always finds its way in. I sell mostly daily necessities like tea bags, sugar, and those little tins of balm for headaches. During the snow, it’s hard to get new stock in, so the shelves look a bit bare sometimes. I try to keep enough wood and kerosene for the locals when the weather turns bad. The 190010 neighborhood is close-knit, and I often spend time drinking Kahwa with the other shopkeepers when business is slow. I use a simple notebook to keep track of who owes what. The walls are painted a pale green that has faded over the years, and there are posters for local events stuck near the window. It’s a quiet life, mostly. I hear the hospital sirens every now and then, which reminds me of where I am. When the sun sets behind the mountains, I start packing up. The water tank looks like a big shadow against the sky. It’s just a regular shop in a busy corner of Srinagar.