CHENNAI: It’s been two decades since Divya started selling flowers and garlands at the Koyambedu market. She says that she never wanted to explore any another business because flowers have become an integral part of her life.
“I used to accompany my mother and grandmother since I was a little girl to sell flowers in markets. Flowers have stuck with me ever since,” says Divya, as she busily arranges garlands of lillies and roses at her flower stall.
“My favourite will always be Jasmine,” she says, putting forward a bunch. “Aren’t they beautiful? They can just brighten up any room. And they also sell fast,” she reveals.
Divya has two children, a boy and a girl, both studying in primary school. Her husband is a blacksmith, who sometimes goes with her to work. “He is not all that keen on flower business, but my young daughter has started showing interest. She takes huge bunches of Jasmine and ties them around her hair,” she beams. “She floods me with questions when she comes to the shop — she is so curious about everything. I think it runs in the family.”
While Divya wants her daughter to finish her education first, she also secretly wishes that someday she would open a big floral store. “She can open a really nice store like the ones you see in shopping malls,” she says.
Divya earns around `200 in a day — barely enough to get her children through school. Few people in the past have offered her other jobs with a fairly decent pay, all of which she declined. “I’m the owner here, I run the stall and I love it. So why should I go waste my time somewhere else? The income might be less, but believe me, it is very satisfying,” she says.