Waris General Store

If you know Bhikha Shah Gali, you know it’s a narrow squeeze for everyone. Waris General Store is right there in Iqbal Bano Manjil. It’s one of those parts of Varanasi where the history is just built into the old walls. We have two units, 46 and 47, but it still feels small when we get a big shipment of goods delivered. The 221001 area is always busy with people walking through these lanes. We sell the usual daily necessities—oil, spices, packets of snacks, and things for the house. It can get a bit dark inside the shop because the buildings are so close together, so we keep the lights on even during the day. Sometimes a cow wanders by the entrance and we have to gently shoo it away so people can get in. We spend our time talking to the regulars and making sure the jars are topped up. There’s a specific smell of spices and old paper in here that’s been around as long as I can remember. The street outside is never quiet. You hear the bells from the temples and the sound of people talking all day long. We just stay here behind the counter, weighing out sugar or handing over a bottle of water. It’s a lot of work keeping track of everything in such a tight space, but we manage to keep the shelves full for the neighborhood and we don't plan on changing how we do things anytime soon.