Lancelot Furnace

We are situated out at the 18Th Mile Stone on Mathura Road. It’s a long stretch of highway, and we’re right in the middle of all that industrial activity. Our business is furnaces, so as you can imagine, it gets incredibly hot inside the building. We have big structures and heavy bricks everywhere. It’s a gritty place to work. The trucks are constantly rumbling by outside, heading towards Delhi or away from it. We start our days very early before the heat of the sun adds to the heat of the shop. Most of us have been working here for years, so we don't even notice the soot or the noise anymore. We have a small office area where we keep the papers, but mostly we are out on the floor. It’s hard on the body, standing and moving heavy materials around all day. We drink a lot of water and try to stay in the shade during our breaks. There isn't much around here except other factories and a few roadside dhabas where we sometimes get lunch. It’s a very practical way of life. We don't have a lot of visitors, just the delivery drivers and the occasional client who wants to see how things are coming along. We keep the machines running and make sure the bricks are lined up right. It’s just honest, heavy work that needs to be done.