Malik Bricks

We've been here on Panaiyur Cross Road for a while now. It’s a dusty spot, mostly because of the nature of what we do. Silaiman is a good place to work, though the heat can get pretty bad in the afternoons. Most days start early, around five or six, before the sun really picks up. We spend a lot of time checking the kilns and making sure the stacks are straight. It's not fancy work, just honest labor with red clay and fire. Sometimes the trucks get delayed because the road is narrow, but we manage. My father started things here, and now we just keep it going. People from the nearby villages come by for a few loads when they’re building a wall or a small shed. We don’t have a big office or anything, just a small shed with a desk and some chairs where we drink tea. The rain is our biggest enemy because it stops everything. We have to cover the raw bricks with plastic sheets and wait it out. It's a lot of waiting sometimes. When the weather is dry, the whole place is buzzing. You can hear the sound of bricks clinking together all day long. It's a heavy job, and your hands get rough, but seeing a finished house made with our stuff feels okay. We just stay focused on the daily routine and hope the demand stays steady through the season.