Rotomac Silk Mills

At Rotomac Silk Mills, down on the lower ground floor of the Shiv Shakti Textile Market, you will find us at unit 1016. Ring Road is a mess of traffic outside, but it’s quieter down here in the basement. The air always smells of silk and a little bit of dust. We have rolls of fabric stacked up high. Getting them down requires a long pole with a hook. Checking for snags in the threads is how we spend most of our afternoons. The fluorescent lights aren't great for the eyes, but they help us spot any mistakes in the weave. There is a small stool by the door where we take our breaks and drink some water. This market is a huge maze. We’ve been here long enough to know every shortcut and every shop owner on this floor. The tea boy comes by at four and that’s usually the highlight of our day. Lifting those heavy rolls of fabric is tough on the back. It's just part of the job. By the end of the week, the floor is covered in loose threads and scraps that need a good sweeping. Our neighbors are mostly other textile folks, so we all know each other's business and talk about the market prices. It’s a lot of manual labor and long hours, but we keep at it day after day. When the market finally closes for the night, we head out into the busy streets to find our way back home.