Shyam Sunder Metal Industries

Shyam Sunder Metal Industries is located right on Station Road. It’s a rough place to work because of all the metal we handle every day. Our mail is sent to Post Box No. 177. The air here usually smells like grease and iron. It’s not a clean job, that’s for sure. My clothes usually have a few holes in them from sparks or sharp edges. We don't have a fancy office with air conditioning. We just have some big fans that move the hot air around. Station Road is always crowded with people heading to the trains, so it’s never quiet. We just focus on getting the metal pieces processed. There’s a lot of heavy lifting involved and my back usually aches by five o'clock. We don't really have a big philosophy or anything. We just make sure the metal is handled right and sent out to whoever ordered it. It’s a lot of clanging and banging throughout the day. You have to shout just to be heard over the machines. Sometimes we sit outside on the steps just to get a break from the noise. It’s a hard way to earn a rupee, but it’s what we know how to do. We've been at this same spot for years and the routine hasn't changed much at all. We just keep the hammer going and wait for the whistle to blow at the end of the shift.