A1 Metal Works

Out here on Maulana A G Road, our workshop at G 1 A 1 is usually pretty noisy. You can hear the sound of metal being cut from down the street in Azad Nagar. We have stacks of glass sheets leaning against the walls, so we have to be careful when moving around. The place smells like burnt metal and oil most of the time. We work on all sorts of things, from window frames to metal gates. It’s a messy job and our clothes usually have some kind of stain by noon. The glass factory part of the work is different because everything has to be measured just right or it won't fit the frame. We don't have any fancy air conditioning, so we keep the big front doors open for some air. Sometimes the rain comes in and we have to move everything back into the dry spots. A1 Metal Works is just a practical place where we get the job done. The guys here have been doing this for years, so we know the local shops around M Parade. We don't spend much time talking, mostly just focused on the welding or the cutting. It’s hard work, and the floors are always covered in metal shavings that we have to sweep up every evening. It’s just a normal factory life for us. We see a lot of people from the neighborhood passing by and some stop to ask about repairs for their small metal items.