Slow death.

We were heading back to Chennai when I struck up a conversation with the driver of the tourist car who was in his early 20's .It is nigh well impossible to spend 4 to 5 hours in a car without the exchange of few pleasantries with the cabbie.
He said that he was new to Chennai and that he originally hailed from Arni where he and his family and ancestors were engaged in weaving Saree's and dhoti's since time immemorial and that he was an expert in weaving silk Saree's bordered with gold zarees.He pointed to a bill board on the high way that had an actress draped in a colourful glittering, jacquard variety of Saree ,that is rage these days and said that he could weave that sari in a week's time and it was often collected by agents of top showrooms of Chennai and other cities at a fraction of the price it was sold in their ambient ac shops.
He continued that it was his elder brother who struck out of their hometown to Chennai to drive cabs and was now the proud owner of the company, in which he had also joined ,as its driver.

Just then the car lurched and he slowed it down and parked it on the bay to examine the cause.As I got down on to the blistering pavement ,it is always hot in here, with the sounds of vehicles whizzing by in a blurr of colour on the highway I saw the driver rolling away the punctured tyre and fitting in a spare one with his bare hands.
They were well shaped , long and artistic. So unsuited for the this job.Was I witnessing the slow death of yet another ancient and exquisite craft of Bharat?