Mahalaxmi Metals

If you head down to VKIA Road No 9, you’ll find us at Mahalaxmi Metals. This industrial area is loud and there is always the smell of grease and burnt metal in the air. Our shed is pretty large, but it feels small once we pile up all the scrap and sheets of metal we handle. We don’t have an air conditioner, just a couple of big industrial fans that mostly just move the hot air around. The floor is concrete and has some cracks where the heavy machinery sits. Working with metal is hard on the hands and we all have a few scars to show for it. We keep a ledger for everything, though sometimes the pages get a bit greasy from our thumbs. There is a small tea shop near the entrance of Road No 9 where we get our snacks. The trucks back in and out all day, and there’s a lot of shouting to make sure nobody gets in the way. Under the tin roof, it gets incredibly hot during the summer months, so we start work before the sun is fully up. We aren't trying to be anything special, just a group of guys moving metal and keeping the business going. Sometimes the rain leaks through a small hole in the roof, and we just put a bucket under it and keep working. The neighbors are alright and we occasionally lend them our tools if they are in a pinch.