These days, everything can be found online, from vegetables and fruits to groceries and cosmetics. Young people seem to enjoy this convenience. However, older individuals often prefer visiting nearby shops, as it gives them a chance to exercise and socialise with the shopkeepers. It’s a productive way to spend time, and shopkeepers often assist them when needed.
When I was young, there was a shop owned by Jangi Sah near my house. He sold everything from rice, wheat, and pulses to oil, spices, salt, jaggery, and sugar. Our needs were simpler back then. My father would give Jangi Sah a list, and he would pack everything. After a while, my father would return to the shop to pick up the items and pay the bill in full.
Customers trusted him so completely that they never questioned the quality or price of his products. He treated everyone with respect, whether they were regular customers or not, literate or illiterate, from our neighborhood or elsewhere, young or old. His prices were fair, and his products were of the highest quality.
He visited the wholesale market daily from 2 to 4 pm to purchase goods. The rest of the time, his shop was bustling with customers from 9 am to 10 pm. While other big shops waited for customers, Jangi Sah’s shop was always busy. During wedding seasons or festivals, he sometimes opened his shop also at odd hours.
People relied on him for everything except clothes, machinery, and medicine. I have an MBA in marketing, and I’ve done a lot of marketing myself, but Jangi Sah’s marketing skills without an MBA were unmatched.
I still remember how he comforted me when my father passed away. After my father’s death, either my brother or I would visit his shop with a list of items. After his demise, his sons continued the tradition. However, his grandsons have moved to Greater Noida and are doing well in their respective professions.
Whenever I pass by his shop, I feel sad seeing a multi-story building there instead, which brings back a flood of memories.
–Kaushal Kishore
Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News 
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