Milking Hope: A Life Between Cowshed and Fields

Before the village awakes he has woken up. His days starts from the cowshed and ends at his

field. This is a story of a farmer rooted in the fields and shares an unnoticed bond with his

cattle.

The first steps of his day - alone, but not lonely. Purpose meets the rising light.

The Person Behind the Cattle

In the quiet heart of Uttar Pradesh, Mantu Yadav has woken up before the world starts moving. It's 4 A.M, the sky is dark, there's no noise of any vehicle but his work has begun. He fills buckets of water and heads to the cowshed where known faces are waiting. His world revolves around a single rhythm - not of a ticking clock, or horns of vehicles - it is the the rhythm, the pulse of nature.

He speaks less, but his actions are hurried, full of care. In his village, people acknowledge and respect his quiet strength: he is the man who works for survival rather than fame. Farming and taking care of his cattle are more than his job. His voice softens as he says “Ye sab main karne ke liye nahi karta, ye meri zindagi hai.”

Every morning he wakes up he just has one goal or mantra to be followed : to give his best to his field, his animals, and a hope that he will have enough to keep moving.

The Place Where Hopes are Sowed

Mantu’s field isn’t that big, but it’s living - there are sugarcanes which are still sprouting up, tall and green with a promise. The sugarcanes are also on their journey to keep growing and finding their strengths, just like him. There's a peacock often visiting the farm, wild and free, searching for grains in the field, reminding him that beauty is visiting the place everyday.

Sometimes he rides his tractor or heads to the field bare. Clearing the weeds, inspecting the sugarcanes and checking the soil. It's a silent dialogue of love between a man and the Earth. He says, ”Dharti hume jo dena hoga vo samay pe degi, aur hamesha deti hai,” every word carrying a sense of truth in its tone. Despite the harsh summer heat, he never stops, never takes a pause, because each sugarcane growing in the farm has a little knot of hope, tied to a better tomorrow.

Where the Cow Sleeps

Mantu’s cowshed has very unique kinds of silence - one of moos and another of warmth. In the morning, it bustles with movement: feeding the cows, cleaning the cowshed, milking them. By night, it slows, as the cows start to rest in the night breeze peacefully. His day begins in the cowshed, sweeping, cleaning, checking each of them if they are well.

He observes everything : if a cow seems to be inactive, or there are any insects around the cow and they are gathering too closely, or a cow is eating less than the regular days. This little quiet observation keeps them healthy and safe. All the milk collected from the cow is

sent to a government dairy. He says, “Ye hi wo kaam jo mera parivaar ki raat ki roti hai.”

Every litre matters in this journey. It may not give him that much money but it's always

dependable. And for a person whose life is never luxurious, dependability is everything and enough. Softly, he says, “ye gayyaa mujhe doodh se zada ek nayi pehchaan deti hai.”

Turning Grains to Gold

Later in the day, when he is done with his cowshed tasks, and his cattle is resting, and the field has been inspected, he moves to his another task: turning the harvested rice into the food that can feed his whole family. There's a large machine which hums as he is pours the raw grain. Slowly, the cover starts to peel away, uncovering the edible rice in it. It’s loud and dusty work, but he handles it with calm and cleverness.

This is the final step, after sowing the seed months ago, and taking care of them for a half year this machine, this moment, is where the labor turns into livelihood. He says, "Ye kahne se zyada hai, ye meri mehnat aur zindagi hai."

Every sack of rice is equal to a meal on the table.

Beneath the mango tree, he rests - not to escape from all his work, but to gather all his strength to keep going.

The Mango Tree and the Midday Pause

There is only one place which makes Mantu rest - beneath the Mango Tree, that stands like a little guardian for the field. He rarely talks during this time. Instead, he looks at the sky, listens to the the birds humming a new rhythm and thinks. Not about what else he has to do, but about the long bills to be paid, the milking, the seed costs. Money Matters.

Every rupee is spent with thoughtfulness. He has always just dreamt about earning more - not for a beautiful luxurious life but for dignity. When asked why he needs money, if not for ease, he says, ”Mujhe kuch nahi chahiye, mere bacchon ke liye, ki unhe 4 baje na uthna pade.”

The Mango hears all the thoughts but still stands.

The night has fallen, but his hands will not rest until his cows are safely beneath the stars

It's Night, But Still no Time to Rest

When the day has come to an end, most people start to head towards their house. But there's one final task left- tying the cows in front of his house under the open night sky. This is not a routine it is an act of love. He guides them gently in the dark by patting their backs, and makes sure that everyone is settled. The cows know him. They move without any fear. The night air is cooler. The moos have become softer. His steps have slowed down.

The day's work has ended, but not the care. He checks on them for the very last time - their space, water, ropes. This, he says with pride is his peace. After seeing and knowing that everything is where it should be - his cows are safe, his field has silenced, that now he has done enough, not for appreciation but just for love.

The Tune of Life

Mantu sits down quietly in that light. A day has passed, as many days before. There are no holidays, no breaks, no guarantees in life. Just a tune - a tune of hardwork, of lending and giving. At the end of the day, he feels satisfied. Not because things were easy, but because he bore it and survived. The milk he sold without thinking of the price, the rice he processed, the field he walked and takes care of are the proof that he resisted and was that much resilient to show up again and again. He dreams like everyone, yes. Of more money, of better tools, of rest. But there's something which keeps him keep going.

”Mushkil waqt,” he says, ”burra waqt hi mujhe batata hai ki me ye kyu kar raha hu.”

As he leans back to looks at the sky, he says, “Ho gaya, yahi lagta hai din ke akhri me.”

Written by Sakshi Yadav

Sakshi wrote this article as a participant of the Media-Makers Fellowship's May'25 cohort.