Chaebheja Devi Das

Being at number 16 in the Krishi Upaj Mandi means our days start very early, long before most people are even thinking about waking up. By four or five in the morning, the trucks are already pulling in and the whole place is loud with people shouting and sacks being moved. It’s a hectic environment, but there is a rhythm to it once you get used to the pace. We deal with the goods coming through the market, mostly basic commodities that farmers bring in. The office is small and usually smells a bit like jute bags and old paper. We have a lot of tea throughout the day to keep going. There is dirt everywhere, that is just the nature of the Mandi. You can't really keep your boots clean for more than five minutes. We talk to a lot of different people, from the farmers who grow the stuff to the traders who are looking to buy it for the cities. It is a lot of negotiating and checking weights. Some days are slow and we just sit on the wooden benches outside the door watching the tractors go by. Other days it’s so busy we barely have time to eat lunch. It’s a simple life, really. We’ve been at this stall for years and don't plan on moving anywhere else. It is just the way things are.