Slice Of Life: ‘Business is not as rosy as it used to be, but I am happy’

I was born and brought up in Kancheepuram. When I was in Class 8, I joined to work as a helper at a tailoring shop here. I fell in love with the job, so much so that I used to practise it in my house after coming home from work. When I was in Class 9, I could not continue my schooling. Then I joined work at a tailoring shop full time. Due to the special interest I had, I used to learn many new things every single day. Later in 1995, I started my own tailoring shop near the Kancheepuram market. Due to various personal reasons, I did not get married. I used to open my shop at 8 am and keep it open till 9 pm; I used to work even on Sundays if there were more orders to finish. I love this profession very much, as it gives me immense satisfaction. But in the recent years, the people do not prefer to buy cloth to stitch, as they now have many options in readymade clothes. There are many good designs in readymade but the people should understand that if they buy the cloth and stitch, the material will be better and will last for a longer time. Though the business is not as good as it once was when I entered the profession, I am happy and have no regrets. I try to help the poor as much as I can, which I would continue to do till the end.