“What could be better in the summer than a refreshing glass of buttermilk! Made fresh at home, I’ve been quenching people’s thirst in Koyambedu this way for over 20 years now. And oftentimes, they need it here, especially since there’s a ton of physical labour involved.

A typical day starts around 4 am, taking care of the cows and collecting the first batch of milk to be supplied to the local depots. Hailing from the Yadava community, this is what we’ve been doing for generations now and definitely all that I know! Of course, there have been times when I’ve wondered how different an educated life would’ve been then but I’m glad today that god has kept me in a position where I’m happy. It’s rare, you see! Everyday feels like a blessing when I see the number of cows I’ve raised on my own. It started with barely one and has quickly grown into a farm of fifteen alongside playful calves, thus ensuring my business and I still run strong, even at sixty!

Now after completing the morning supplies, I come back home to check on the fermented curd from the day before and then sit to churn it. This buttermilk sale is again, only a side hustle but one that I’d like to take extra care of. I want the customers to enjoy every drop of it as they gulp down a glass. So I make sure to add ice, fresh coriander and even a handful of fenugreek seeds to my earthen pot before transferring the buttermilk.

All this gets done at around 10 am, post which I head to the market slowly. Working under the scorching sun, taking my buttermilk from shop to shop, can indeed get intense but there’s again, an odd sense of satisfaction I derive from this. Maybe, it’s seeing the workers get charged up again to tackle the rest of the day, that keeps me going as well!”

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