Post News Network
Forget lecherous stares and eve-teasing, women professionals who prefer to lead an independent life and enjoy their singlehood have to bear the verbal barbs of landlords and patiently listen when they are told that late marriage is unhealthy!
Single? How old are you? What time do you come back home from office? Do boys come to meet you often? Do your parents know you live alone? Where do you work? Sigh, the question-answer rounds never end if you are a single girl living alone in metros and searching for an accommodation. On one hand life is not easy for girls with eve-teasing, vulgar stares and comments on their assets that they hear on the streets every day; on the other, if you are single girl intent on leading a life of independence you wouldn’t be permitted to. At least your life would be made considerably difficult and you would have to face problems emanating from the fact that you are a girl and, worse, single. Orissa POST speaks to women who have had the experience of living single in big cities.
Anwesa Mishra says, “I am an Indian middle-class girl. First, let me talk about the challenges we face for being single. Being single attracts uncalled for attention especially from the neighbourhood. Besides, if you are living in an apartment, everyone makes it their personal business to worry about your future. The main issue is getting mistrustful looks from married men. Many questions are also asked like why do girls who prefer living alone not live with their parents or their relatives. Many people also pitch in with ‘sane’ advice like late marriage is unhealthy. However, safety and security remain the major threats. When I go jogging early in the morning, I feel safer with my brother or a friend. I tried going alone on days but was intimidated by lecherous stares. Hence, being single according to me in metros is unsafe.”
“Get yourself a pepper spray if you are female, whether or not you have male company. In a city whose reputation precedes it, a tiny bottle in your purse can elevate you from a victim to a brave soul, and as you would eventually realise you are only as safe as you think you are,” quips Anwesa who lives alone in Kolkata.
Ipsita Mishra who is a native of Bolangir and HR manager with an MNC, says, “Women who venture out of their native places to fulfill their ambitions require a safe and convenient accommodation, but due to non-availability of such hostels they end up living in dingy rooms. Their plight does not end here. Security concerns are not the only issue, but money-hungry and interfering landlords make the rented rooms inconvenient. This is the reason for which I had to change rooms many times. Moreover, at workplace also they are harassed mentally. If a woman has no proper support from home then life is, of course, difficult for her.”
According to Sulekha Patra at a time when metro cities are witnessing a spurt in atrocities against women, living alone is really risky. “So a girl should always be ready to face such situations. A girl must carry a knife and chili powder always in her bag for self-protection. It is the need of the hour to get training in martial art for self-protection. Besides, the state government should come up with more hostels for single and working women so that they do not have to bear the wrath of landlords,”
says Patra.
