The Compartment Says Women Only

Photograph by Ragini Kumari

The scorching heat disappeared

when the metro arrived,

bringing with it a blowing gale.

The doors slid open and

I entered the very first compartment of the metro

which said: Women Only.

I felt an unspoken warmth as I saw women all around.

Different women with different personalities,

some with hair opened and some with hair tied,

some wearing heels, and some were comfortable in flats.

A woman sitting in front of me was reading a book titled

‘A Woman is No Man.’

Another woman was tapping her feet to a beat.

A working woman was asking her daughter

about her day at school.

Two friends were talking about their day at work.

These women come from different realities and experiences.

Yet I saw one thing they all had in common:

Dreams in their shining eyes.

I reached my destination

and came out of the very first compartment

which said: Women Only!

Ragini Kumari

Third Year

Political Science Honors

Photograph Curated by Basundhara Jana

Edited by Neelanjana Pant and Anshika Srivastava