At 20, Petchiammal was already a widow. Her husband, Shiva, died of a heart attack just 15 days after the wedding, and shortly afterward she discovered that she was pregnant.
Alone and with a daughter on the way, she began working to support her. But in her community, being a woman on her own made her feel vulnerable. One day, as she was walking to her job at a charcoal factory, a truck driver allegedly tried to force her into his vehicle. She managed to escape, but was left terrified.
The next day, she made a decision that changed everything: she cut her hair, put on a shirt and dhoti—the traditional men’s garment—and adopted the name Muthu.
She worked as a cook, in restaurants, and as an agricultural laborer. In Kattunaickkanpatti, where no one knew her past, people called her “Muthu Master” and her neighbors called her “Annachi”, a respectful way to address an older man. For much of her childhood, her daughter, Shanmugasundari, had to call her that in front of others to keep the secret.
Today, Shanmugasundari is grown up and has a life of her own. Even so, Petchiammal has no intention of going back: after 37 years, she says Muthu gave her the courage and security she needed, and she wants to remain Muthu until the end of her days.