“I moved to Chennai from Madurai to look for work in my early 30s. Though I have been working from the age of 8 selling blouse bits and saree door to door, I felt Chennai would be a option for me to explore. To begin with, I started working in a retail cloth store as a sales person. Since then, life blessed me with many other major events like marriage and two girl children. As a sole bread winner for the family, I had no option but to work hard and give the best possible life for my children.

Within no time, 30 years had passed. However there was this burning desire residing in me. It was also the reason for me to move to Chennai in the first place. I wanted to become a business man and start my own store. Through different life’s commitments, I had to put that dream in the back burner for some years but with the humungous support of my wife and my children, I commenced my own store called ‘Aadhi Silks’ in the year 2019. My dream of opening up a store materialised in my 60th year and I couldn’t have been more grateful to life.

Just a few months into my store’s opening, the entire world went into a lockdown. But I was determined to make this work despite all odds. It would have been a huge rejection for me had it not been for the support and motivation of my family. We started marketing sarees through WhatsApp groups and other platforms and my customers supported me a great deal during these days.

I door delivered all the orders and till this date, my clients flood my WhatsApp with kind messages and warm wishes. Though there is a selective collection at my store, I ensure that the quality of these match to a certain standard. I receive and treat my clients with utmost respect irrespective of them making a purchase. This has indeed helped me to develop a good wrapport with all my clients.

The one thing that has always supported me through everything has been my values – honesty, hard work and integrity. Despite all the challenges life threw at me, I learnt to balance it all through and with the almighty’s grace, my dream was made possible in my 60th year. There are miles to go before I sleep and my vision has grown to a greater height as well. I want to take my business to a greater level and offer job opportunities to multiple people. And I took a vow to myself that I would continue my service till my last breath.”