#MetroDiary 32: Mondays

Delhi Metro targets the office commuters and hence, how can I not write about the day which is most important in the life of the office goers! 

Mondays in metro are really different,  whether its in the yellow line or violet or blue! the colours don't matter. The passengers remain as colourless (in mood) as the monsoon sky in Delhi. Forever waiting for the tears to roll. You will find fellow passengers with heavy bags and heavier faces. Its difficult to leave Aligarh, Dehradun, Jaipur behind, and come to Delhi. This city which is synonymous with weeks that drag in offices that are drab. This city that makes so many eagerly wait for Fridays.

Younger ones already start planning, "Should we go to Hauz Khas today?Just to feel a bit better. There is a nice burger shop!" I want to correct, "That's Aurobindo Place!" but keep my peace. My information is really dated, anyway! In any case her friend declines the fun invitation, " Nahi yaar! first day of the week! I don't want to feel tired waking up tomorrow. We have practicals exams mid week." She reminds me of another boy who is called "hashtag sorry yaar! aaj nahi aa payunga" (Sorry buddy! I cant come today!) by his close friends. :D To be fair to her though, she was at least talking to her friends and not sleeping already. I often see girls practising the art of sleeping while standing. I understand though. No one gets to sit on Monday (except the ones already sitting) and catching on the lost sleep is necessary. Probably she sings, "I somehow wake up on Mondays! I wish my Sundays were more!" And no! Not the rest of the song. But as a Bengali I feel it is my duty to promote fellow Bengalies, so let this song play in the background (its in English) while you read the rest  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vyF__PhLRg&feature=youtu.be  

Getting back to the topic, on a Monday, almost no one is fully ready. It seems like the water cannon / jal kaman that Delhi police unleash on us whenever we try to question government on accountability. You wake up and realise that even water can really hurt!

Some office goers still try to finish the pending household work on their way to office and an app called WhatsApp helps. Surprise! Surprise! WhatsApp can also be used for things other than spreading rumours that kill people and bulk-forwarding inane greetings! Another not so surprising fact is that most of these people who are trying to "manage" house-work on their way to office, are females. In the last few years, there has been a 40% reduction of females in the work force in urban India. It is often attributed to the double burden that women have, at home and at the office.  It is such an accepted fact that if anyone puts up a picture representing less female participation in the workforce in Delhi, a debate starts about the nomenclature used to describe the country rather than the fact that we have less than 30%  participation of females in the paid employment.  On a Monday when I take my seat, the lady next to me often starts typing vigorously, "10 kg Aata, 2 kg sugar, 2 ltr oil...". She also gets a phone call from the grocer saying these can only be delivered in the afternoon. She agrees readily after confirming they would reach before she reaches home. That is, well before her second shift starts. For now, she runs towards the door while stuffing the phone in her bag to do a job that would pay her less than the man doing the same job. A man who not only keeps his share of the donuts but also tries to grab some from her share, which then gets talked about as "lifestyle"! 

And oh yes! The only kind of books that get read in the Monday crowd is a religious book. All the others books remain stuffed in the bags for the evenings. By the way, I can sleep in my second metro without getting worried about missing my stop, if I get a seat that is. Even if I miss them announcing the name of my stop, I can not miss the announcement that warns, "This train is fitted with CC TV cameras. Live footage is being recorded!" just before the metro arrives at my station. I get up with a jerk. However, I have to only worry about that when I get to sit, which is rare. I still have not figured out the art of standing and sleeping! But one day..