The block within

I have been travelling a lot by metro lately. On one such day, it was evening and the train was crowded. I was in the women’s section and all of us were trying to accommodate in the available space as best as we could.

A young woman next to me was trying to extract something from her bag. From her black coat and demeanor, it was apparent that she was a lawyer. I was hoping to have a conversation with her when I observed that she had pulled out a ‘burkha’ from her bag. She struggled to wear it over her dress in the limited space available. It was obvious that she wanted to put the ‘burkha’ on before alighting from the train and before she reached home.

It just made me a little sad. After a tiring day at work and traveling in a crowded space, she had to worry more about following the social and religious protocol rather than thinking of her well being and comfort.

I guess most of us women do things unconsciously to conform, to be accepted in the society, in the family. While we pursue professional competence and success in the outside world, we are are simultaneously struggling for acceptance in our inside world. And the gap between the two keeps widening until a choice has to be made. Between the outside and the inside. Between following our dreams and ambitions or living within the confines defined by family structure and societal expectations.