Amudha (57) who lives a floor above from Chitra, used to work in as many as 11 homes at once in her youth. She, too, started with a monthly wage of Rs 40, which crawled up to Rs 2,000. A year ago, she was given a raise of Rs 600. That is where it remains now.

Most of them are sole breadwinners of their families. They turn to domestic work because of the ease of entry, but the work is neither easy nor flexible. If they ask for more, someone else will take up the job for the paltry pay. In most cases, they are expected to reach right on time, but are often made to spend the full time there even if the work gets over. “The last leave I took was four months ago,” says Chitra, who's never had a day off other than emergency leaves or special occasions.

“If the job entails only cleaning, washing and sweeping, this is a reasonable wage. But we are also expected to clean the fans, the cupboards, rearrange the kitchens, and sometimes even look after children,” she explains. She got herself weekly holiday on Sundays after strict demands. “That is to take care of my children and have some leisure time,” says Tamizh Arasi, Chitra’s neighbour, who began working 15 years ago to raise her child. She works at four houses.

Though the work is taxing, proper rest is a distant dream for these women. Understandably, almost all of them suffer from chronic knee pain. “I spent Rs 11,000 this month on my medicines. Now I take shock therapy because my leg pain is unbearable,” says Amudha.

As hard as the daily grind is, what makes it all the more difficult is the associated, avoidable hardships like getting to their place of work from the resettlement colony in Perumbakkam’s Ezhil Nagar. Amudha rues how most of the day is spent waiting for buses. Even if they leave by 5.30 am, there's no guarantee that they would get a bus, she says.