A city can be a beast and an angel, depending on your personal experiences – especially during your formative years. When I was growing up, Delhi was to me a giant beast devouring its own ethereal beauty, lush greenery and layered history, because I never really felt safe there.
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That India’s capital – even if it is striving to do better – makes women feel painfully vulnerable is a fact; something well-documented in national and international media. Stepping out on my own, especially during my college years, which involved using public transport, was dreadful because I faced a lot of sexual harassment.
Most girls around me felt the same way. It was just ingrained in us to always be careful. And having to constantly look over your shoulder doesn’t leave one room to experience much else, to be honest.
In 2005, immediately after graduation, I escaped to Mumbai to pursue higher education. After that, Delhi became to me just a place where my folks lived.
Then some years ago, a friend asked me to meet her at Khan Market. I had never been there before, even though it’s well-known and centrally located, surrounded by landmarks like Humayun’s Tomb, Lodhi Garden, India Habitat Centre and Lodhi Art District.
Read the essay here: https://www.eastside.asia/articles/a-place-i-love-khan-market-delhi
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