The sun is fire. Denanmma Ramulu, 45, sits against the mud-brick wall, hands on her hair, head buried in her lap, back hunched.
"There's no time I have ever felt hope for the future," she says. Her husband of more than 20 years killed himself last year, leaving her with a crippling debt of two lakh rupees (USD 2,000), along with two acres of drought-stricken land. "When I found out my husband died, I broke down completely." The funeral cost 30,000 rupees (USD 450). After the cremation, they scattered the ashes and faced what was left: the debt and the dusty fields.
"This is my fate," Denanmma says. "I'm expecting my son to help and keep the family going."
"And your daughters?", I ask, nodding my head towards the two women watching our conversation.