I'm a Master in India

Appearing before Ron and the others were two towering buildings that stretched into the clouds. They were still under construction.

"Is this what you call Sky Village?"

"Isn't it spectacular?" Anand proudly puffed out his chest.

The massive twin towers stood on the edge of the slum. The concrete had been poured to about three-quarters of their height. The buildings had no windows, doors, or any other equipment.

Nor did they have any glittering or reflective glass decorations, only a dull, heavy appearance that seemed to swallow and extinguish light, making them unremarkable silos.

Through the pre-cut window openings, one could see boys and girls moving back and forth on each floor like ants, busily working.

On the ground, a symphony struck the heart: the furious screams of generators, the shouts of hammers striking metal, and the ceaseless wails of drills and grinders.

One after another, Indian women wearing saris carried plates filled with gravel on their heads, forming a winding human dragon that snaked through the construction site, heading straight for the gaping mouth of the cement mixer.

The women were also working, their soft bodies draped in colorful silk clothes, yet they appeared on the noisy construction site doing rough work, which seemed a bit out of place.

But this was the slum, where everyone had to work hard to survive, including the children who were busy going up and down the buildings.

Similarly, behind Ron and the others, a group of children wearing freshly washed T-shirts and dresses walked in formation, also coming to attend the luncheon.

"Sky Village is up there," Anand said, pointing to the building. "Up there, we're dining on the twenty-third floor."

"Up there?" Mary looked a little scared.

"It's okay, Miss Mary. We're not walking up; we're riding first class."

Following the direction Anand pointed, Ron saw the freight elevator in the yellow steel frame outside the building.

The metal cage carried people and equipment, pulled by thick cable ropes. With a sudden jolt, the elevator began to creak and clatter upwards.

"Oh, that looks more reliable than walking up," Mary gasped. "I think I can try it."

"Don't worry, it's sturdier than anything. We need to hurry and catch the next ride up," Anand said, leading the way.

"When will these two buildings be finished?" Ron asked.

"I don't know," Anand replied cheerfully. "They estimated three years, but they've been building for five already. There's probably another three years of work left, or maybe longer.

But no one is sure what will happen after the buildings are finished. At least in theory, this slum will be torn down."

"Tear down the slum?!" Ron and Mary asked in surprise.

"Yes, it will disappear completely," Anand said, turning his head to sweep his gaze over the large expanse of small houses behind him, his eyes filled with a sigh.

"So, the people in the slum are all workers here?" Ron guessed.

"That's how it started, but once the barbed wire was put up, it attracted more and more people."

Under Anand's explanation, Ron and Mary learned for the first time how the slums were formed.

Many of Mumbai's slums were born to meet the needs of construction sites. For example, the one around them was for the twin towers in front of them.

Building such buildings required a large number of technicians, craftsmen, and laborers, and these people needed a place to settle.

Most of them were migrant workers who went wherever there was work. Their hometowns might be hundreds of kilometers away. Most of the local workers in Mumbai, apart from the accommodation provided by their employers, had no homes.

Coincidentally, Indian law stipulates that construction companies must provide land and huts to accommodate workers. Construction companies are not opposed to this decree and even welcome it.

Because it is also very beneficial to the company. Workers gathering together and cultivating family-like relationships will make them more united and loyal to the company.

In addition, placing workers next to the construction site means they don't have to waste time on transportation to and from work, which is greatly beneficial to the employer.

At the same time, the workers' relatives and friends are also labor. They are ready-made manpower reserves, waiting every day, and can start work as soon as they receive a notice.

The most important thing is that workers in family units are very stable. Most of them are very obedient and relatively easy to control.

When the two buildings in front of them were first planned, a large piece of land was set aside and divided into more than five hundred small plots.

Workers could receive a plot of land when they were hired and signed a contract, as well as money to buy bamboo poles, reed mats, hemp ropes, and scrap wood.

Then, each worker, with the help of relatives and friends, built their own shelter. These huts expanded uncontrollably outwards, like the roots of a large tree weaving into a dense network.

Workers dug large wells to supply water to the entire settlement, and bulldozers leveled the land, creating simple alleys and walkways.

Finally, tall, barbed wire fences were erected around the entire settlement to prevent outsiders from entering without permission, and a legal slum was born.

However, these workers who received regular wages had to spend money on daily expenses and needed more fresh water supply. So, soon vendors followed, settling outside the barbed wire.

These were the first residents of the outer slums, and in a sense, they were entrepreneurs.

These people opened small shops next to the fence, selling tea and daily necessities. The legal workers inside bent down and crawled through the gaps in the barbed wire to spend money, which was very convenient.

Soon, vegetable shops, tailor shops, and small restaurants appeared one after another, and soon various gray areas followed.

Gradually, the barbed wire line was completely occupied, and illegal slums began to expand outwards, spreading towards the open space around the sea.

After a few years, it has formed this appearance today, but due to the lack of planning, the outer area seems much more chaotic than the workers' slum.

"Now this area is home to 25,000 people, dozens of times more than the number of workers originally planned." Anand led the two into the elevator, and the worker operating the freight elevator loudly explained the safety precautions to them.

Ron took one last look behind him. The boundaries between legal and illegal slums were blurred, and it was submerged in the vast sea of people.

"Don't the city hall and construction company object?" Mary asked curiously in the elevator.

"Of course they object. They don't allow workers to interact with us. But that's not possible. Workers need to live and enjoy themselves, and we are the only ones who can provide that to them."

"So, you want to build your own temporary school?" Ron hadn't forgotten the reason Anand invited him in the first place.

"That's right," Anand said happily. "The city hall compromised. They were afraid that if we had a school, we would be even more reluctant to leave. But there are too many people, and other associations are helping, so this matter has a good result, even if it's temporary."

"I hate politicians," Mary commented.

"I hate them too," Anand agreed. "They are the kind of people who will promise to build a bridge for you even if there is no river."

Ron laughed out loud, and Mary's eyes were full of smiles.

"We're here." The three staggered out of the elevator, and the cold wind in the air made people shiver.

"That was scary!" Mary grabbed Ron's arm tightly, her black eyes sparkling. "So thrilling!"

"Are you afraid of heights?" Ron put his arm around her waist.

"I don't know, but I would never come here alone!"

"Come on, Ron, it's about to start." Anand beckoned them from the front.

Stepping onto the concrete floor, the two finally felt a little more grounded. It looked empty here, but in reality, it was full of things.

In addition to various daily necessities, there were even farmed poultry. It was clear that many workers lived up here, after all, Anand said that the freight elevator was usually not allowed to carry people, and today was a special case.

In a large open space, many people were gathered together, with a few reed mats spread in the middle as tablecloths. There were lavish dishes on top, with large banana leaves as plates.

When Ron arrived, everyone looked at him, and the leading girl held a garland in her hand, with some trepidation and expectation.