** Khirki village, Southern Delhi, 12 Feb 1557**
Suresh and Vinod, two brothers who joined the company on the same day, found themselves at the end of the line as they waited for their turn to enter the bustling cafeteria.
The cafeteria was strategically situated near textile workshop, ironworks factory, and military barracks, which served as a common gathering place for all the hired personnel of company. Bored of waiting in the long line, Suresh turned to his younger brother Vinod for a chat.
"So, Youngest, how did your day go in the textile workshop?" he inquired, his voice laced with genuine curiosity and concern.
Vinod let out a tired sigh, the weariness evident in his posture as he recounted his day's challenges. "It was nothing like what I expected, Bhaiya (Big brother)," he confessed. "I thought they would train me the whole process, but instead, they just handed me a pair of scissors and told me that my job role for the day is to be a Cutter."
"Cutter? What's that supposed to mean?" Suresh asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.
A soft chuckle escaped Vinod's lips as he recalled his initial confusion. "That's exactly what I asked," he admitted. "But it seems that as a Cutter, I just had to measure and cut the raw fabric for the production line."
Suresh nodded in understanding, prompting Vinod to continue his tale.
" It might sound easy, right? but it's actually not," he explained with a glimmer of pride in his eyes. "I had to spent 4 hours alongside my fellow workers without losing focus, taking proper measurement and cutting fabric based on the requirements, which is meant to be placed for their destined different stations, along the line. This actually takes a lot of effort."
"Fortunately, we were allowed to have some slack time. Instead of wasting it, I took the opportunity to look out for a trainer. Impressed by my curiosity to learn, he gave me a tour of everything. That's when I learned about the spinner, weaver, dyer, and decorator."
"Spinner, Weaver... What are they exactly?" Suresh asked as his curiosity piqued with the new terms.
Vinod's eyes gleamed with excitement. "You won't believe it, Bhaiya," he began eagerly, "Spinners are the experts, skilled in manipulation of fibres! They transform raw material into yarn with such skill and precision that it feels like magic".
"And what about the Weaver?" Suresh asked, leaning closer to catch every word.
Vinod's voice took on a serious tone as he continued, "Ah, the Weavers. They take the yarn and create fabric on the looms, weaving intricate patterns and designs. Personally, I felt that part the most challenging".
"Next?" Suresh pressed, his curiosity growing with each passing moment.
Vinod grinned, pleased by his brother's curiosity. "Its the Dyers, they are like artist, expert with colours," he said. "That's the most fun job. They get the chance to dye their hands and colour the fabric, bringing it to life with vibrant hues and shades."
"Wow! nice" Suresh exclaimed, his mind buzzing with newfound knowledge. "Is that it, or is there more to it?"
Vinod's got amused as he said, "How can it end just like this, there are decorators at the last line of production. They adds the finishing touches," he explained. "They embellish the textiles with intricate designs and patterns, enhancing their beauty."
Suresh nodded, amazed by his brother's newfound experience, and asked the final question that had been nagging at his mind from the start, "Bhai, everything sounds fantastic, but how do you guys ensure that everything fits perfectly, when all things are made by so many people?"
Vinod's expression turned solemn as he elaborated, "That's where the chief comes in. He meticulously inspects each piece, ensures that every stitch is flawless. Despite his title as the chief, he functions more like a guardian of quality, ensures that only the finest textiles are allowed to leave the workshop."
"We're given a standard measurement system that's incredibly detailed. Everyone has to adhere to it, and using this metric system, the chief conducts the inspection," Vinod further adds," Not only that, there are talks of adding another line for a new job as assembler and their role will be to add the parts of the garment which have complicated design, based on the measurement and requirement."
Suresh's expression becomes blank as he experiences a sudden realization.
Seeing his brother awed, Vinod concluded his explanation with a sense of pride in his voice. "The efficiency is beyond anything I could have imagined, Bhaiya," he mused, shaking his head in amazement. "With so many skilled artisans working together, we've managed to create several dresses in just a fraction of the time it would normally take. What could have taken a month to complete is now finished in the matter of hours."
HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!
Suresh's laughter rang out, as the nearby employees spared a glance at him, "It's like magic, isn't it?" he remarked, his eyes sparkled with amusement as he ignored his surroundings.
Vinod furrowed his brow, puzzled by his brother's reaction. "What's so funny?" he asked in confusion.
Suresh's laughter subsided, replaced by a thoughtful expression as he began to recount his own experiences. "You know, youngest, I've been through the similar process myself, today," he began, his voice tinged with nostalgia. "When I first joined the ironworks for my apprenticeship in blacksmithing, I was assigned the role of a stoker. At first I was also disappointed but now I see, what it all meant to be."
Vinod's interest was piqued as he leaned in, eager to hear more about his brother's journey. "What's a stoker?" he inquired.
With a smile, Suresh launched into a detailed explanation, vividly describing each step of the assembly line process in the ironworks. "As a stoker, my job was to ensure the furnaces remained fueled with charcoal," he explained with enthusiasm. "I worked alongside other stokers as well, tirelessly shovelling charcoal into the furnaces to keep the fires burning. luckily, I also got the tour along side everyone, as we will be assigned to take the other jobs as well, once we are familiar."
Vinod listened intently, "And then what?" he prompted to learn more about the intricate process.
"Once the furnaces were adequately fuelled, the charcoal burner would ignite the fires, and the forgers would begin shaping the metal," Suresh continued, painting a vivid picture of the production line.
"We use the same meticulous metric system as you described in the textile workshop, Since we were given knowledge of half process, we followed the instructions without fully understanding the purpose behind them."
"And what happens next?" Vinod asked, eager to unravel the mystery of the ironworks production line.
"That's where things get interesting," Suresh replied, a note of intrigue in his voice. "The forged parts are taken into a separate area for assembly, away from prying eyes like mine. I can only guess that there's a secret line of assemblers and decorators, just like in the textile workshop that you just have mentioned."
A smile played on Vinod's lips as he contemplated the parallels between their experiences. "It's remarkable, how similar our production line are, we expected to spend the day by learning whole thing but we got to start work from right away" he remarked, marvelling at the intricacies of their respective apprenticeships.
Suresh nodded in agreement, feeling proud as they remembered their shared experiences. "Yes, brother," he agreed. "It's like watching raw materials become beautiful creations, whether it's fabric or metal, all made with careful attention to detail and hidden steps, ending up in the same sizes."
Suresh's curiosity piqued, he turned to Vinod with a questioning expression. "By the way, what exactly are you guys manufacturing there?" he inquired, his tone tinged with genuine interest.
Vinod stopped for a moment, looking thoughtful. "I heard something about a new military uniform design," he said, sounding curious. "They say it's quite different, especially the trousers. They're supposed to be like the loose pajamas generally worn by nobles."
Suresh became instantly interested when he heard about the new uniform design. "I'm curious to see what it's like," he admitted, already imagining the unusual clothing.
Changing the subject, Vinod asked, "Did you happen to see the cute girl who was accompanying Prince Aditya when he visited today? I think she is his butler?"
Suresh scoffed at the mention of the prince. "You fool," he corrected, shaking his head in disbelief. "Prince Aditya is a saintly celibate, a Bal Brahmachari. And as for his butler, it's not a beautiful girl but an old man who accompanies him. Our chief introduced him to us when we joined."
Vinod's expression changed to one of surprise as he processed this new information. "I must have misunderstood her role as a butler," he admitted sheepishly. "Since I saw the girl in a salwar kameez with him, I mistook her. I'm sorry for the confusion. But she looked very sweet."
As the conversation started to touch on the sensitive topic of girl from the workplace dynamics, Suresh felt a slight tension building between them. Wanting to shift away from potentially uncomfortable territory, he interrupted with a sense of relief, "You know, Bhai (brother), one of the best things about this place is the opportunity for progress. There's a clear path for promotion, and what's even better is that caste or background doesn't matter here. We're all treated the same."
Vinod nodded in agreement, looking at the various faces of their fellow workers standing in line. "That's right," he agreed, with a hint of admiration in his voice. "I've noticed that too. There's a sense of closeness among us, no matter where we come from. It's nice to see many people from different backgrounds and poor communities like us, working together so well."
Suresh's eyes gleamed with enthusiasm as he raised his voice in cheer. "And why not? We're paid fairly for our work, with a day off every week," he exclaimed, his excitement palpable. "Speaking of payment, Bhai, how much do you make?"
Vinod's expression darkened slightly as he hesitated to answer. "I earn five copper a day," he admitted reluctantly, his tone tinged with disappointment.
Suresh gave his brother's shoulder a comforting pat. "That's still something to be proud of," he reassured him. "If you look at it as a whole month's pay, it's a significant amount. It's more than three times what you used to spend on yourself. See, I myself get 6 copper for a day."
Vinod's mood brightened slightly at the reminder, but then his spirits dampened as he thought about his elder brother Puneet's salary. "True, but compared to Puneet bhaiya, who earns twenty copper a day, it seems quite small," he lamented, with a little envy.
Just then, the clanking of armour and the sound of heavy footsteps approached from behind. Turning around, Vinod and Suresh saw Puneet, their older brother, dressed in leather armour and a dusty military uniform. He raised an eyebrow at them with an amused expression on his face. "Still talking behind my back, you two? Why so late?" he inquired with a smirk.