Slice Of Life: ‘Jobs are fewer in my hometown so I have to stay away from family’

Icame here from Bihar and have been working in this city for more than two years. I had heard that Chennai is a good place for business and so I choose to come here for work. When I was in school, I had also heard that Chennai has a good literacy rate. 

I studied only till Class 9 and started working at snacks shop in my village. Then I moved to Bengaluru in 2010 and opened my own snacks shop. But soon, I began to run into losses. Then I came to Chennai to start afresh.

Here, I am very happy and go home to see my mother and brother, once or twice a year. Even my brother works in a different city and mother lives by herself. Initially, I worked at a restaurant here before opening my chat stall. I stay in a rented house in Guindy and cook on my own and send money to my mother.

The employment opportunities are fewer in my hometown so I have to stay away from family. I have started learning Tamil now and I like the city. People are very welcoming here and they mix well even with people like us, who come from other states to work here.