Lonely planet

Travelling alone gives you a whole new view of India

When the family heard that I was planning a trip north, they weren’t exactly thrilled, especially when they learnt that I planned to visit Jabalpur, Kolkata and Ranchi. Somehow the family had this belief that the entire swathe of what constituted India north of Chennai was a danger zone for a young, single woman like me. Well, as it turned out, I lived to tell my tale.

Starting from Chennai on the Patna-bound Sanghamitra Express, I was soon on my way to Jabalpur without a confirmed seat. Found it amazing how people went out of their way to help.The day I was travelling, World Cup cricket was on everybody’s mind. If cricket does no other earthly good but helps break the ice between strangers, let’s continue to play it — forget Team India’s pathetic performance.

The Jabalpur halt was to catch up with long lost relatives. Obligations attended to, I headed for Kolkata. Got my first taste of famed Bengali hospitality when a co-passenger insisted on leaving me at my friend’s place, despite it being out of his way. Careful not to offend my “southern” sensibilities, he assured me his mother-in-law and wife would be accompanying us. Mr Roshaim Roy, may your tribe increase!

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My friend’s family was awesome. From endless cups of tea, to special dishes at every meal, to impromptu jamming sessions, I have never felt more at home. Howrah Bridge, Victoria Memorial, the metro, Camac Street, Nondon, little gullies and by-lanes with quaint stiles and houses built into walls, the city wears its history lightly. And best of all were the ‘adda’ sessions. It thrilled me no end to discover that people actually took time out for a time out!

Ranchi was a lovely little place and any outsider can be forgiven for believing that it is only an overgrown hamlet. I returned via Andhra Pradesh, so vast that you can board a train in the state, sleep overnight and still find yourself within its borders the next morning.

Once back home, the family wanted to know how strangers had responded to me. I told them that in north and eastern India, people were curious about how a single woman could travel alone and appear self-sufficient. In South India, however, they were more interested to know why I was still single. So which category is the more civilised?