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Making a living far away from home

— Photo: T. Singaravelou

A hard life: Saritha from Rajasthan sells home decor items in Puducherry.

PUDUCHERRY: With her son tagging along, a dusty and tired Saritha walks the streets of Puducherry.

“We don’t have any crops there, no agriculture there, so we have do something to live,” she said, as she displayed home decor items.

Having come from Rajasthan recently with her husband and three other relatives, she sells curtains strung with wooden beads, rectangular pieces of glass and golden-coloured plastic that can be hung from door frames.

“We don’t know to make these things. But, people like such decorative items so we procure them from others who make them in bulk. Since there is nothing else to do in our Chura Jilla we came here,” she explained.

The entire set with two long strands and one that would go from one side of the frame to the other would cost you Rs. 300.

Since she is not used to hawking such things she said she planned to stop and exhibit her wares to whoever shows interest in them.

From her shoulder hangs a small bag with a few more sets of hangings and also a few personal belongings.

But, Saritha couldn’t spend much time talking as the male members of the team, selling large maps that can be hung from the wall, kept hurrying her.

After all, they found no use in her talking to a person who won’t buy her wares!

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