Siddiqee Exports

Plot No. 104/ A is where we spend all our time. It is right in the middle of the GIDC Estate, so you can imagine the noise from the other factories nearby. We are Siddiqee Exports, and our building is mostly just a big open space for sorting things out. We have been here for a while, seeing the estate grow and change. The trucks come in through the main gates and we have to get everything ready for them. There is a lot of tape and cardboard boxes involved in what we do. It’s not a quiet place. There is always someone shouting over the sound of a generator or a truck idling outside. We keep our paperwork on a small desk near the front entrance where it’s a bit cooler. The sun hits the metal roof pretty hard around noon, so we usually take a break then. We aren’t doing anything fancy, just moving goods and making sure the labels are stuck on right. Sometimes the electricity goes out for an hour and we just sit outside on the plastic chairs. It’s just how industrial areas work. We know the neighbors at the other plots, and we help each other out if a forklift breaks down or something. It’s a lot of physical work, but we are used to the rhythm of the estate by now. We finish up late most nights just to keep on top of the schedule.