BENGALURU: Before the lockdown, Tanuja H was not the sole breadwinner of her family but now she is the one taking care of the finances. Tanuja used to assist at a tailoring shop next to her house in Hulimavu, but due to the lockdown, it has been 30 days since she reported to work. She has now reopened the vegetable shop her husband Somasekhar used to run.
“I come from a family of five. If I don’t start working, how am I supposed to take care of house expenses and bills?,” questions the 35-year-old as she neatly arranges the vegetables to start the selling for the day.
Tanuja lives with her husband, two daughters and her mother-in- law, who also used to run a condiment store that has been shut since the lockdown was announced. “Usually my husband takes care of the vegetable store but he has not been keeping well for some time and my mother-in-law is a senior citizen. We can’t risk her life in this situation,” says Tanuja.
The beginning of summer would usually mean a huge sale of drumstick and raw mango but according to Tanuja, seasonal vegetables aren’t being bought much. “Even if vegetables are essentials, they are difficult to sell. Earlier, people had the time to explore the ware but now they step out for limited time,” says Tanuja, adding that she has not seen more than 10 visitors a day at her stall.
Considering her work includes coming in physical contact with people, Tanuja does not want to risk anyone’s life by not taking the precautions. “I have an elderly person at home and I have two daughters. I have to take precautions at least for them. I use a mask and gloves so that I don’t come in contact with people accidentally,” says Tanuja, adding that even if life is a little tough for her and her family right now, she knows things will change eventually.