Close to the clock tower in Birgunj is Ranighat, near abandoned remains of a railway station, parts of the open space has become an open garbage field, with narrow trails running from the main roads between heaps of garbage to a small cluster of huts made of plastic sacks, wood, tin, any material that can be scavenged. Walking past some of these huts, we reached closer to the remains of the old railway station, the ruins of what perhaps used to be a ticket counter is now home to a Marik family.

Mainadevi Marik sat outside the door, amidst bamboo dust and pieces. Clamping the bamboo strip in one hand, she scrapped it off with a sickle-like knife to smoothen the edges and make uniform strips. She did not stop her work as Bhola dai and I started talking to her and interviewed her as part of our research on Doms.