‘You feel elated when people say that your job is an  odd one,’ says Nirmala, the post woman who delivers letters in the Guindy area.

People  who might not give a look at a post man look with renewed interest at  her as she comes straddling her bicycle with her postbag and delivers letters. But she does not agree with the fact that working as a post woman is ‘like storming the male bastion’ as there are a good number of women in this field now.

She has been delivering letters for the past 19 years. She has been working in the Guindy post office since three years, before which she was at the Anna University post office and at the Adyar post office. ‘There was stiff opposition when I took up this job.

My husband felt that it was a male’s job to go distributing letters from house to house. He preferred that I remain a stamp vendor. But I remained adamant and wrote the exam for the post of a post woman.

Even now, both of my daughters one of whom is doing her MCA and the other who is doing her B Com are against my doing this job. Not that the job is a demeaning one, but they feel  that I should be rested.’

‘But I love my job more than anything else. It feels nice to meet so many people and get greeted by everyone. There are instances when people eagerly wait at their doors to receive a letter from their loved ones. I have personally handed over letters to many VIPs during my service and I feel proud of it.

I know the names and addresses of most people in this area and this gives me a strange satisfaction. There have been instances when old people rejoice on seeing their son’s letters from far away or on receiving a much awaited money order.

All this makes my job worthwhile. So even when my husband and daughters want me to quit the job and take rest, I have not given in to their demands.’ she adds.

‘It is this job that has given my children good education. Moreover, the pay is quite good. If the sixth pay commission comes into effect, it would be good for us. I don’t  agree that this is a strenuous job for the fairer sex,  as every job comes with its share of frills and troubles. We have to go two shifts per day, and climb a number of stair cases. but otherwise the job is quite flexible’ she says.