Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR's international team shares moments from their lives and work around the world.
In the one-horse town of Marikavalasa in India's eastern coastal state of Andhra Pradesh, I spent an afternoon interviewing working women on the main street. Patterns emerged: The women, clad in neat saris, sat before tidy stalls made of rescued plywood and propped up by a few bricks.
The women would agree to chat, or be interviewed, but they'd excuse themselves briskly. There was a trade to be done, an eggplant to sell, colorful bangles, a devotional lamp.
Many of these women were in debt to their neighbors, to pay for medical care, a school fee. They patiently explained they had to repay their dues to stay in good standing in their community.
But as dusk settled, the smell of pan-fried flat bread wafted over the road, and some of these women allowed themselves a little luxury: an evening snack at a brightly lit stall selling small tiffins — a traditional Indian lunch-box meal, usually composed of flat bread, rice, vegetables in a spicy gravy and a pickle. It was a moment for these industrious women to enjoy a treat, some banter, and a moment to unwind before returning to work.
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