I was once travelling solo in a cab in Varanasi. The cab driver who found it necessary to declare to me that he was a proud Yadav, a descendant of Krishna, asked me matter-of-factly— aapki shaadi hui hai? (are you married?) I said no. Hamaare yahaan bina shaadi ke, ladkiyaan aise akeli baahar nahin aati (here unmarried women do not come out alone like this). Essentially, he was saying, women ‘are not allowed’ to come out alone.

Later in the day, I was in another cab, where the driver again asked me the same question. Since I was smarter now, or so I thought—I said, ‘yes, I am married’ with great confidence. Quickly he said, in this region married women only come out with their husbands. Not alone like this.

Doomed this way. Doomed that way. Show Full Article

What happens in Carnati

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