Ambika Eng

Down here in Aminwada, Dehgam, things move at their own pace. Our engineering workshop is right in the middle of things in the Gandhinagar district. We do a lot of metal work and small repairs for the local farmers and businesses. The shop is usually loud with the sound of grinding or welding. It smells like grease and hot iron most of the time, but I’ve grown to like it over the years. We have a lot of heavy tools scattered around the floor. My father started this place, and I’ve been here since I was a teenager. We don't have any fancy computer systems for tracking things; we just write everything down in a big ledger on the main table. Sometimes the power goes out, and we just sit outside and wait for it to come back, talking to whoever walks by. Dehgam is a place where everyone knows your business anyway. We don't do much advertising because word of mouth is enough for us. If someone needs a part fixed, they just bring it over. It’s honest work and it keeps the lights on. Sometimes we get projects that are a bit beyond us, but we usually figure it out after a bit of trial and error. That's just how engineering goes in a small town like this. I have an old radio that stays on the shelf playing local music while we work. It’s usually covered in dust but it still works somehow.