Adarsh Kirana Store

Adarsh Kirana Store is right on Hospital Road, which means we see a lot of people going to and from the clinics all day. The shop is packed from floor to ceiling with all sorts of things like lentils, rice, soaps, and biscuits. We keep the grains in large open sacks so people can see what they are buying before we scoop it into bags. The air always smells like a mix of spices and laundry detergent. My hands are usually a bit dusty from handling the flour and sugar. We have a heavy iron scale on the counter that has been there for years. Many of the customers are people who live nearby and they often buy things on credit, so I spend a lot of time writing in my thick accounts book. The shelves are made of wood and they sag a little under the weight of the ghee tins and oil bottles. In the mornings, the milk delivery comes early and we have to put the crates out on the sidewalk. It’s a busy place and sometimes it’s hard to find space to move around behind the counter. We also keep small items like matches, candles, and single packets of shampoo near the front. The floor is swept every evening but by noon it’s always covered in footprints again. It’s just a neighborhood grocery shop where we know most of the faces that walk through the door. We stay open late for anyone needing things after work.