Sai Lakshmi Fancy & General Stores

Our shop, Sai Lakshmi Fancy & General Stores, is right across from the B.H.P.V Gate here in Gajuwaka. We have been here for a good amount of time. It’s a mix of things really. On one side we have the fancy stuff like hair clips, bindis, and ribbons for school kids, and on the other side, we have the general groceries people need for their homes. It’s not a huge space, so we have to stack things quite high. Sometimes it’s a bit of a struggle to reach the items on the top shelf, but we manage. Most of our customers are workers from the nearby industries or families living in the quarters nearby. They stop in for a quick packet of tea or some safety pins. I usually sit at the front counter. It gets dusty because of the road, so I’m always wiping things down with a cloth. We don't have a computer system, we just write everything down in a notebook. It works for us. Sometimes people come in just to ask for directions since we are right by the gate. We don't mind. The rainy season can be a bit tricky because the water sometimes splashes near the entrance, but we keep the floor as dry as we can. It’s just a local business trying to get by and help the community out with their daily bits and pieces. We open early and stay until the evening.