Manoj General Stores

I've been here in Senpura for a good while now. My shop, Manoj General Stores, sits right on Chetganj Road. Varanasi gets really hot in the summer, and that old ceiling fan just moves the warm air around, but we get by. Every morning, I unlock the shutters around eight. It’s a bit of a ritual. I sweep the front step because the dust from the road never seems to stop settling. People in the neighborhood know me by name. They come in for all sorts of things, maybe a pack of biscuits or some washing powder. Sometimes they just stop to complain about the traffic on Chetganj. It gets really loud out there with all the rickshaws and bikes honking. I try to keep the shelves tidy, but things get moved around during the day. My ledger is usually sitting on the counter, filled with scribbles from when I’m in a hurry. The lights inside are a bit dim, but I know where everything is even in the dark. It isn’t a fancy place, just a regular shop where you can find what you need for the house. I spend most of my day sitting behind the wooden counter, watching the world go by through the open door. Life moves at its own pace here in 221001. Some days are slow, others are a bit frantic when the school nearby lets out. I just keep doing what I do.