Mahalaxmi General Store

You can find Mahalaxmi General Store right in the middle of Dhanmandi. Since this is a grain market area, there is always a lot of dust and the sound of heavy trucks backing up. Our store is where people stop to get the smaller things they need for their kitchens. We have big tins of oil sitting near the entrance and sacks of pulses lined up along the wall. It is not a very fancy setup. We use an old scale that has been around for decades. You have to balance it just right. Sometimes the local laborers come in to buy a single cigarette or a small packet of tea leaves after their shift. The ceiling is high but the light doesn't reach the back very well, so we use a torch if someone wants something from the deep corners. We keep the soap and detergents on one side and the food stuff on the other so the smell doesn't mix. It gets very hot in the afternoons, so we usually sit on the front step where there is a bit of a breeze. People walk by and wave, and we know who is having a wedding or who is sick just by what they are buying that week. It is just a regular life here in the market. We don't have much space to move around, but it works for us.