For women, leaving home after dusk implies an automatic invitation to danger and societal censure. Some people have even justified sexual assault and rape on the premise that women out late at night should expect aggression. Amidst this, four women — a cab driver, a bouncer at a popular club, a bar dancer, and a home guard constable guarding the women’s compartment in the local trains — have been defying societal constraints and patriarchal mindsets each night when they go to work. These four Mumbai women work through the night, breaking boundaries that society has traditionally set on women’s mobility, morality, and sexuality. Here are their stories. This episode follows Nisha, a cab driver who gives as good as she gets from the male drivers who outnumber her. NISHA, THE TAXI DRIVER Voice Over Audio Montage 1 English News Anchor speaks Male politician: I believe that if my sister or daughter goes out in the night on New Year’s Eve with men other than her father or husband, then I can’t expect her to be treated with respect by people. Male politician: Every one has a ‘Lakshman Rekha’ drawn around them. If anyone crosses that Rekha, then they are bound to land in danger. Voice Over Nisha: You know people have that fear sometimes. Hence, they keep saying that I should not drive in the night. But, the problem is, I love driving in the night! It is a breeze to drive in the night, no cops to worry about, no traffic lights; you can zip across the city. Voice Over Nisha: I used to work in a security firm earlier. Once, I met a lady cab driver who was dropping a passenger off at my workplace. Till that day, I had no idea that there were women cab drivers. I always felt driving was not for women. I took down the details about the cab agency and went to my supervisor and convinced him to give me only night shifts for two months because I wanted to learn something new. He agreed so I started learning how to drive, without even mentioning this to my mother. Voice Over Nisha: When I finally got my license, I told my mother. But she would not agree to let me drive. She would just not budge. I even got a few lady drivers and friends to come and convince her. We had to work really hard at convincing her. Finally she agreed and allowed me to take up the driver’s job. But then, my mother’s brother started creating problems. He would incessantly criticise my mother for allowing me to drive. He said our family does not allow women to drive. My mother tried reasoning with him, but I felt like I had to step in. I told him that this is my life, this is my problem. I told him I won’t do anything to give my mother a bad name. So there will be no problem. Kunal: But was that just this uncle or did other members of your family oppose your decision as well? Nisha: All the male members of the family. (Laughs) Because I was the only woman in the family to drive. Their daughters and sisters were all wearing the veil, so they wanted me to do the same. Voice Over Nisha: My father used to be driver. He died in a car accident, while driving. From that day, my mother has been so scared of vehicles that she still does not allow my brother to buy a bike. Kunal: So your mother’s objection stemmed from this fear, primarily? Nisha: It was this fear, yes. But now she is not scared. In fact, she rides in my car with me a lot. She has conquered her fear. But she still worries about the night, so she keeps telling me to not drive in the night. But I love driving in the night! Voice Over Ambient conversation with Nisha and her colleagues. Voice Over Nisha and her colleagues: At the counter for prepaid taxis, they ask passengers if they are okay with a woman driver. This has to stop. This must end. They should not be asking such questions. Do they ask people if they are okay with a male driver? Because of such questions when customers come to us, especially men, they look at us in a cheap way and ask what are the extra ‘facilities’ we are giving them? Some passengers also come and question us about why the people at the counter ask such questions. They say, “Are you any different from male drivers?” In fact, many of them even say that world over, things are changing for women, but is India still so regressive that it thinks women can’t drive? They ask us this. Mostly, visitors from other countries ask such questions. In fact, they are shocked at this discrimination. When a solo male passenger is given this choice, he starts having bad thoughts about us. Voice Over Nisha: You know how people would earlier say that women can’t drive and only men can be good drivers? Even now, 99 per cent of the customers feel this way. They get scared, especially the women passengers. When they see that we are going to drive them, they refuse. Just because they can’t drive, they think other women also can’t drive well. Voice Over Kunal: So, you are always waiting in this food court? Nisha: Yes, till we get a fare. Kunal: But ...
