Slice Of Life: After my husband’s death, there was no one to take care of me

I cook at the house of a social activist in Chromepet. I was born and brought up in Madurai. I lost my husband within a few months of my marriage and was living alone there. Then, I moved to Chennai in search of a job and started working as a house help at various places and stayed at a rented house. As years passed, my health problems increased and I had no one to take care of me and had to suffer alone. Nearly 15 years ago, I came for treatment to the Chromepet Government Hospital and met a social activist there. After hearing my story, he offered me a job in his house and also gave me a room to stay. I have been working as a cook in his house for 15 years now. They treat me like one of the members of their family. I tried applying for ration card many times, but in vain. The officials said that they can’t provide me a ration card as I don’t live a separate house. I also cannot avail of government schemes meant for widows even though I have applied for them a number of times.