with my kitty

Every Thursday, Meera gathered her kitty group at her grandmother's heritage home in Chennai's old quarter. While sipping filter coffee beneath hand-painted ceiling murals, they pooled coins for emergencies. Last month, young Priya's medical bills arrived unexpectedly. Without hesitation, the group's savings, carefully accumulated through their social network, became her lifeline. Meera's grandmother smiled, recognizing something ancient in their modern gesture. She showed them old ANDAL coins, explaining how communities once thrived on mutual trust. That evening, Priya rejoined them, healthy and grateful. True wealth, they realized, wasn't coins at all. It was belonging.