Sweta General Store

Varanasi is a busy place and out here in Om Nagar Colony Face 2, it feels just the same. My store is right on Pandeypur Road in the Pahdiya area, so there is always some noise from the traffic outside. I call it Sweta General Store, and it’s basically just a room filled with everything from notebooks to cooking oil. During the summer, it gets really hot inside, so I usually have the fan going full speed while I wait for customers to come in. Most of the people who shop here live in the colony behind the store. They come for their morning supplies or sometimes just to get a recharge for their phones. I try to keep the shelves organized, but with so many small items like matchboxes and pens, it’s hard to keep everything in its place. The mornings are usually the busiest because of the school kids and people going to their offices. I’ve lived in Varanasi my whole life, so I’m used to the pace of things here. If you are walking down Pandeypur Road, you will see my shop right there with all the snack packets hanging out front. It’s a simple setup, nothing too special, just a way to make a living and help the people in the neighborhood get their daily necessities. Sometimes we sit outside on plastic chairs in the evening when it’s a bit cooler and talk to the neighbors.