K K Rice Mill

K K Rice Mill is a small operation on Amman Kovil Street in Aladipatti. If you walk past the temple, you’ll hear us before you see us. The machines have a steady rhythm that you can feel in the floor. My family has been doing this for a long time, and I took over because it’s what I know. We don't have a big office or anything. There’s just a small wooden stool near the entrance where I sit and wait for customers. The air is always thick with the smell of husks and dust, which gets on everything you wear. We spend a lot of time fixing the belts on the old mill because they tend to snap when it gets too hot. It’s not an easy job, especially during the harvest season when we’re working until midnight. We use these old jute sacks for the rice, and stacking them is a real workout. Neighbors often stop by just to chat for a minute while their grain is being processed. We don't have any signs or marketing. People in Aladipatti just know the red door on Amman Kovil Street. Some days the humidity makes the grain stick, and we have to stop everything to clear the chutes. It’s frustrating, but that’s just part of the work. It’s a loud, dusty, honest way to make a living, and we’ve been doing it this way forever.