Nirmala, 58, has been in business for five years. The reason why Nirmala never married was that her father instilled in her a dislike and suspicion of men. Her father criticized her continually because she was pretty and might attract undesirable attention. He abandoned the family, illegally married another lady, and still took food from Nirmala's family to feed the other household. The oldest of ten, Nirmala had to take responsibility for the whole family from 1972. Without her father's income, the family went without food, sometimes with just a cup of black coffee a day for a week.

Nirmalla went to work at a convent doing needlework, tailoring and making plastic wire bags in the beginning, and did medical care later on. After she reached 11th standard she took a course in homeopathic medicine and started a homeo clinic. Psychology training helped her to avoid becoming depressed., and people still come to her with problems, suicidal urges, and other counseling and spiritual needs. With her first loan Nirmala taught herself how to operate a local telephone business. After two more loans she had a roadside shop with a refrigerator, desk and chairs and two telephone lines — one private and one government — so that at least one of them worked at all times. Nirmala wants to expand her business to carry grocery items and other household items such as notions, pens, stationery, chalk, and first aid supplies. She will buy in bulk, repackage, and sell at her shop. Nirmala can employ three other people to carry out this work.

As we left, Nirmala said she had been waiting for someone to come and have this kind of reaffirming conversation with her for a long, long time.