Mahadev Dudh Dairy

Running Mahadev Dudh Dairy in Sadri means my day starts while it is still dark outside. I have to be at the shop to receive the milk containers from the local farms. It’s a very routine kind of life. We pour the milk into the big cooling tanks and get the smaller cans ready for the people who come in early. The shop is quite plain, with white tiled walls that are easy to wash down. There’s always a bit of a chill in the air here because of the refrigeration. I wear a heavy apron most of the day because things can get messy when you're moving large amounts of milk and curd. I’ve lived in Sadri all my life and I know which families prefer the thicker milk and who wants the fresh paneer on Fridays. We don't have a lot of space for people to hang around, so they usually just get their milk and go. In the mid-morning, I take a break and have some tea with the neighboring shopkeepers. We talk about the local gossip and the price of fodder. The business isn't complicated, but it requires me to be here every single day without fail. Cows don't take holidays, so neither do we. It’s a bit tiring on the legs to stand on the concrete floor all day, but I’ve grown used to it over the years. It’s just an honest way to make a living and serve the people in our town.