I dwelled in Delhi for almost 20 months and now I am back to my hometown, Varanasi. When I look back or evaluate my stay in Delhi, one of the most interesting chapters of my life was women coach of Delhi metro. The place out of the world. To my surprise, it was the only compartment I hated the most to travel in during the rush hours. You must be thinking that why I am saying so? Instead, it is reserved to facilitate us (women) from the inconvenience caused due to the other homo sapience (men) while travelling in the other coaches of the metro.
According to my experience, I would say that you will travel with much more dignity and comfort in other compartments of the metro, but "women only" coach. Even when the technical fault happens and metro arrives after a long gap of 10-20 minutes in spite of 2 minutes or 5 minutes of regular intervals. You will find yourself much more comfortable in other compartments than the reserved coach. Here, the question arises why I am saying so?
The reasons are stated below:
- You will find a young college going girl sitting and chatting/listening to music giggling and what not when there is an old woman standing in front of her with the bent back and couldn't manage to go to the seats reserved for the elder person. (Where is the courtesy?)
- On the other hand, the scenario would have been completely different in the other compartments. Any male co-passenger would have simply offered/emptied the seat for the old woman even after having the most exhausted and tiring day at work/office.
- You will not have to bear TV serials melodrama and happenings of the day-to-day life of the fellow female passengers in other coaches. Instead, you will find some cheerful jokes, leg pulling, laughter, get something to learn in other compartments.
- Even after talking about so much of women empowerment and equality. You will find the same gender bitching about the other of the same community. This is something we should be ashamed of our community. Men are far better. They talk about competition and they together target the other gender (women) to make fun of. At least they are loyal to their own community.
- The other category is of the fashionista and the only fashionable, sassy chicks of Delhi boarding the metro as if it is their private means of transportation and not meant for the public. They will give you such a look on your flat shoes in your office attires as if you belong to the BPL community of the society with an expression who the fuck let you board in the metro, you bitch!
- You will be smashed and pushed by your fellow female passengers if you loose balance of your 11 number bus (foot). Your poor foot will have to bear the crushing of high heels and you will have to put on that plastic smile while accepting the apologies (in only few cases) in spite of the unbearable pain. Or else you got that point to make it a big point in a cat fight.
One thing which I survived on for the initial days of my travel in the women coach was the latest fashion trend you can acclimatize yourself within the compartment engulfed with fashion divas. A good time-pass without novels, music, or newspaper. Just keep observing them that too without letting them know. You never know what can happen with you? Later on, to my convenience I switched to the sixth coach of the metro which opens just near to the escalator and save me from the rest of the crowd. Wink- Wink ;-)
Dishi Mehrotra
(Views expressed are personal)
