April is a tense month for students—Final Exams mark the end of the school year, and the pressure is intense. While tests throughout the year matter, the finals cover everything from the year and carry the most weight. May, being one of the hottest months in India, is considered summer and schools and colleges are closed.
For many of the women, summer means heading back to their villages. Trains are packed with travelers heading home, and tickets must be booked far in advance. These trips bring a mix of emotions. Some women, like Suman Gupta from Prerna Cooperative, speak with fondness: "I feel like I can breathe differently there. It reminds me of who I was as a child. And it's beautiful to watch my own children run wild and free in those same fields." But these moments of joy can be tinged with discomfort: "What I don't love," she adds, "Is that I have to cover my head again and be more careful about what I say." Reactions in the villages vary. Some women are respected for their jobs and earnings, seen as role models. Others face criticism for stepping outside traditional roles. "Some people admire me," one woman shared. "Others think I've forgotten how to be a proper woman."
Still, one thing most of the women agree on is the pride they feel in being able to bring something home. Their earnings allow them to carry back gifts or sweets from Mumbai—small tokens that speak volumes.
Going home is never just one feeling. It's comfort and constraint, joy and reflection. But above all, it's a reminder of how far they've come—of the confidence, independence, and pride they've gained. For many, these journeys back are no longer just visits. They are quiet celebrations of who they've become.
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• Have you ever returned to a place that once felt like home—but realized you had changed? What did that feel like?
• Do you ever feel like you're different in one place than you are in another? How do you navigate that?
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Summer, with a Splash of Joy! - Vol 1
Each time I returned home from college I felt a comfort and ill at ease in my parents home. I also felt a strong pull to get back to learning. I was no longer a small town girl timid to step out in the world. I had changed. Everyone at home saw me in the small box I grew up in. I felt guilty to have such opportunity, yet frustrated that I was not able to be my emerging self in both places. Once I finished college, was employed and had my own residence I was able to feel more fully in myself.
The most exciting trip I have ever taken was to India in 2020 to Rajasthan. I was able to block print with artists in 2 different locations, experience indigo dyeing, visit a Stepwell and the Taj Mahal. What an amazing country and people. If I am lucky perhaps someday I can visit Mumbai.
I am proud to wear the clothes made by the hands of the Marketplace women and to tell people the stories I have read about you. The embroidery really touches my heart as I know it is time consuming and unique. When I touch the clothes, I feel like our hands are touching, Woman to Woman! I wish you peace, good health, and thank you for your creations.