Being a movie lover, I used to catch the latest flicks at all odd hours. And I had fallen into the practice of going for late night movies. I used to go on my own and later my husband used to pick me up. This arrangement worked well with both of us. He got his space while I got some “me” time.
About two years back… as I was leaving for another late-night show, I noticed that I was low on my mobile battery but didn’t have time to charge it and as usual the power bank was not to be found. I left anyway and asked my husband to be there in two and a half hours… that being the duration of the movie.
Sitting in the theatre, I was lost to the world and was surprised when the movie finished earlier than expected… It was still 15 minutes before my husband was due to come. I suppose I had miscalculated. So, I got out my phone but it had already lost its charge. It was past midnight and the theatre premise was clearing up fast. With no option in sight, I went and stood at the gate for my ride back home. I was not exactly scared but the time of the night and the deserted area made me a bit nervous.
As I had my eyes set on the road, a car driving out of the parking lot (must have been the last car out of the lot), slowed down… its headlights shining on my face and by the time it was passing me the driver was driving at the speed of a snail… I felt very uncomfortable. But as the car went across… I noticed that all the four passengers in the car were women.
The car stopped a few meters away from me. No one got out of the car or they did not even acknowledge my presence there. But I could hear them chatting and laughing loudly. The sound of their laughter and chatter was somehow quite comforting and at that moment I really appreciated the din they were causing.
A few minutes later my husband entered the scene and I quickly got into the car. As I was getting in, I looked at the car parked ahead. The women in the backseat had turned to… I suppose… to make sure that I was in a safe zone. I waved, but she had already turned and the car just zoomed off. My husband asked, “Anyone you know?”
“Yes, one of us,” I said. I don’t think that my husband got what I really meant by it but he nodded anyway.
On my way home, I thought if we women ourselves stand guard for each other; we can make this place, this city, this country a much safer place for our clan.
Why wait for a hero to appear when we can write our own tales and play the central role too?
NOTE: We women carry all the power we need, within ourselves.
