Hidden woman in Rajasthan
The Hidden Women of Rajasthan: Stories from a Night Train “One night. One stranger. One story that changed how I see womanhood in rural India.” (A true encounter from a train ride between Jaipur and Mumbai.) By Crux Traveller I met Mannu on a night train from Jaipur to Mumbai. She was on her way to see her husband, who had fallen into a coma after an accident at his worksite. The whole compartment was nearly empty, except for just two women—her and me. I was casually chatting with a few others on the train. They assumed I was Indian, maybe because of the way I speak Hindi. After a while, I gently mentioned that I’m from Sri Lanka. As a solo woman traveling through India, I often said this only after I felt safe enough. It was a habit born out of instinct and experience in a country that isn’t always safe for women. Later, after everyone had fallen asleep, Mannu started talking to me. At first, she looked at me like I was some sort of hero—a girl traveling alone in a foreign...