No Transportation
M was a carpenter who was almost always away from home because of work as he did a variety of woodwork for different clients. His wife stayed at their home - a government development project - with M’s parents. M’s brother and sister also lived nearby at another development project. The corridors in M’s building were much cleaner and wider than in other housing projects, although the pile of rubbish common to the other was piled into the space by the stairs here as well.
M had two very small children and perhaps because of that, there were very few items of furniture in the flat. M’s wife mentioned that she did not know much of Mumbai because M did not permit her to have many days out, and her children demanded most of her time and attention anyway. They had water supply for only twenty minutes each day and to make sure their plants did not die M had installed a small irrigation system for the house plants. This way, whenever they went out they would leave the pump on and their plants would get watered automatically.
Their neighbours, M’s wife said, were very friendly and helped her with childcare and even shared water with her if she ran out of it.
The only time she will travel outside their neighborhood is when she is with him. She seemed curious to know which part of Mumbai we have come from.