Visual Writing Exercise -
This write-up was part of a college assignment to improve visual writing skills.
The Male Gaze -
LATE NIGHT. RAILWAY STATION
Nikita is sitting under the platform 1 sign of the railway station; she is in formal wear. Her hair is a little dishevelled and she has beads of sweat on her forehead. She opens her hair tie, releasing her waist length hair and ties it back up again. It is comparatively less crowded. A woman is sleeping next to her, her body stretched out on several seats, she is snoring lightly, her stomach rhythmically going up and down.
Nikita is sitting alone and has a trolley bag next to her legs. She looks groggy, her phone rings (xiaomi phone ringtone). She picks it up, “Haan mummy, station pohoch gai hoon.”…”Sorry bhool gai thi, thakk gai hoon”… “Nahi, darr kyu lagega, pehli baar thodi jaa rahi hoon.”… “Haan mummy, aap bhi, so jaao der hogai hai. Goodnight.” She then looks around there are a few men standing in a corner staring at her, when she looks at them, they look away. She looks back to her phone and realizes they have resumed looking at her and murmurs something, her fingers are tense around her phone. The tubelight above her head is flickering and the wall beside her has paan spit all on it, paint peeling off. The woman next to her stops snoring and there is complete silence.
Suddenly a group of young people arrives and stands a little far to the side but at a visible and audible range. They are college-going girls and boys, who look very drunk and are laughing and talking loudly with one boy carrying a giant rucksack and two trolleys, who looks sober and irritated. “Madhu se toh sambhaali jaati hai nahi, hamesha gir jaati hai fir uthaake laana padta hai.” “Chal chal tu bhi hamesha deewaron se baatein karke rota hai.” Everyone starts laughing except that one boy. Nikita smiles. She looks at the corner again. The men are now staring at the girls in the group. A coolie approaches the place where Nikita is sitting, a duffle bag and aam ki peti on both his shoulders respectively, followed by an old couple. The uncle is on a wheelchair as the aunty pushes him ahead, she is dressed in a short kurta and jeans, her hair has several white and silver streaks. They stop midway in front of her, “Coolie bhaiya, ruk jaao” aunty pulls out a bottle from her purse, she bends down and goes in front of the wheelchair then puts the water to uncle’s mouth, he takes a sip and she withdraws the bottle, then puts it to his lips again. She then puts it back in her purse, goes behind the wheelchair and starts pushing it again. Nikita looks at the corner, the men are now looking at the aunty.
A man and woman in their late twenties come and sit in the row behind Madhu, the man has a sleeping baby in his arms. Nikita doesn’t notice them. The drunk youngsters are creating a ruckus- laughing loudly and singing songs, the baby wakes up and starts crying, the sleeping lady beside Nikita wakes up with a startle. She looks behind, a little accusatorily. Nikita also turns around, “Neha!” “Nikita!” “Kaisi hai, kitne dinn baad!” “Me achhi hoon aur tu?” “Thhakki hui, conference tha yaha, Reliance me.” Nikita goes to sit behind next to Neha, they continue to chatter. Neha takes the baby from her husband’s arms. The train announcement sounds, Nikita’s train arrives, she bids Neha goodbye and kisses the baby’s forehead, Neha’s husband has dozed off. Neha walks to her coach, looks to the corner, the men are staring at Neha she shakes her head and boards the train.
