Kalyani Hayes Lemmerz

We spend most of our time out here at Gate No.635 in Village-Kuruli. It’s a bit of a drive to get into Chakan, but this is where the work happens. The mornings usually start with the sound of trucks pulling in and out. Being near the Tal Khed area means we see a lot of the same faces every day, mostly workers from nearby villages walking or cycling in. It’s dusty during the summer, and when the monsoon hits, the roads around here get pretty messy, but that’s just how it is. Inside the plant, it’s mostly about keeping the machines running. We don’t really do much fancy stuff; it’s just everyday manufacturing. Most of us have been here a while now, so we know the routine like the back of our hands. Lunch is usually a quick affair, maybe some tea in the afternoon while looking out at the gate. There isn’t much to see except the industrial sheds and the hills in the distance. It’s a solid place to work, even if the traffic on the way home can be a nightmare sometimes. We just focus on getting things done and making sure everything is loaded properly before the sun goes down. Sometimes the power goes out for a bit, and we all just wait it out. It’s a normal industrial life for us here in Kuruli, nothing more, nothing less. We just keep the wheels turning the way we always do every day.