Slice of Life: ‘I have to work everyday as there is no choice’

I am originally from Chennai. We are a family of six. I have two children, Aravind who is studying in Class 8 and Hansaveni, who is in Class 3. They are good in academics. My children are studying in a government-aided school so the burden of money on me is not much. 

My day starts as early as 5 am. I finish all my household chores and visit the Koyambedu market to buy the day’s stock of flowers. After the purchase, I quickly sit and tie the flowers. 

Sometimes, my children help me too. I earn around Rs 200, of which I have to spend around Rs 100. The rest of the money goes into my business. No matter how bad my health is, I still push myself to sell the flowers on trains. 

My children mean the world to me. I don’t want to talk about my husband. My mother-in-law takes care of the children when I’m not around. Both my in-laws, despite being old, help me in the best way they can. We have our ups and downs, but we make our compromises and live together.