Slice of Life: ‘I work 15 hours at my uncle’s shop, don’t get to spend time with family’

I was born and brought up in Chennai. At 15, I started working at my uncle’s after completing my Class 10. There were 8-10 workers at the shop in the beginning and my uncle supported them financially to set their own shops in the area.

In the beginning, my uncle’s shop was small and he sold only betel leaves and cigarettes. After taking over the shop from my uncle, we have added on many stationery items as there are schools nearby. 

One of the important products in our shop is Rs 5 fruit drink. It was available for pouches Re 1 earlier, but now Rs 5 bottles are available and that’s what we sell the most here. It’s a favourite among school students. If they come to buy anything, they won’t leave without having that soft drink.  

In the beginning, we used to earn Rs 10,000 per month and now we make around Rs 45,000. But, many shops have come up near the schools and the competition is tough. We have also witnessed a slight decline in business.

We do not have sufficient number of workers in the shop, so I spend around 15 hours there and hence, I don’t have time to spend with my family or attend any functions.