Khan General Store

Varanasi is a place that feels old and busy all at once. Our shop, Khan General Store, is tucked into Aradli Bazar. It is a tight area with a lot of people moving through the narrow parts of the bazar. We have been here for many years now. The walls are painted a simple blue but you can't see much of them because of all the stock hanging from the ceiling and piled on the shelves. We sell the usual things people in Aradali Bazar need for their homes. That means big bags of flour, jars of mixed pickles, and plenty of loose tea. In the afternoons when it gets hot, the shop is a bit cooler because of the high ceiling. We don't have a computer or anything, just a simple counter and a wooden stool to sit on. Sometimes the neighbors come by just to talk about the weather or the price of onions. We know everyone’s name around here. It is a lot of lifting heavy sacks and weighing out sugar for customers. The bazar can be a noisy place with the scooters and the shouting, but we are used to it by now. We close up when the sun goes down and the street lights come on, then we do it all over again the next day. It is a simple way to make a living and we like being part of the street here. There is always something happening in Varanasi.