Raza General Store

People usually find us here in Ward No.14, right on Mahnar Road in Bhairopur. We’re quite close to the Allahabad Bank, which is a good landmark if you’re looking for the place. It’s just a regular store where we keep the things people need every day. My family has been around this area for a long time, so most of the faces that come through the door are familiar ones. We start early in the morning when the sun is just coming up. Usually, the first thing I do is sweep the front and get the shutters up. The traffic on Mahnar Road starts picking up around eight or nine, and that’s when it gets busy. We sell all kinds of stuff—soap, biscuits, lentils, and whatever else people realize they’ve run out of at home. Sometimes people stop in just to say hello while they’re on their way to the bank or heading home. It can get a bit dusty with the trucks passing by, but that’s just how it is on this road. We don’t have fancy shelves or anything like that. Things are tucked away where we can find them, and if we don't have something, we usually try to get it in by the next time the truck comes around. It’s a quiet life mostly, just managing the counter and making sure the stock doesn't run out before the end of the week. We’ve seen the neighborhood change a bit over the years, but the store stays pretty much the same.