‘Who likes to leave home?’

When did you move to Delhi?
I have been here for two months now.

Do you like it here?
Well I have to work here, so I have to like it.

So why did you choose to come to Delhi?
I needed work and an agent offered to get a bunch of us here. Most of us work here as dhobis.

Who all are there in your family?
My parents and my sister.

Have you seen anything of the city?
We have been around Connaught Place, but haven’t seen Jantar Mantar or India Gate or all the other places that people keep talking about.

What work do you do here?
Well, I am a dhobhi. We get clothes from all over the city. We work the entire day, cleaning them and then keeping the washed laundry under the sun. Then another guy delivers them to their owners. Most of the laundry here comes from the hotels in the area.

So which place is better? Delhi or home?
(Laughs) Home is always better, but everyone has responsibilities. That’s why I came here to work. Otherwise, who likes to leave home?

City Seekers: A new series on migrants in urban India