Namita Narula Gandhi lives by the clock. Every workday, she wakes up at 6.30am, gets ready, packs the breakfast and lunch she has prepped the night before, feeds her one-year-old child, and is in her car at 7am. Within 30 minutes, she is on the Delhi Metro's Yellow Line, travelling from the Haiderpur station to Huda City Centre in Gurugram.
An hour and 50 minutes later, she is hailing an auto for the 10-minute ride to her office, a private hospital, where she works as the head of corporate communications. That's two-and-a-half hours of travel every morning. It's the same on the way back. Gandhi doesn't mind those five hours on the move, for the Metro allows her to be independent.
"I moved to Sonipat in 2017 after getting married," explains the 35-year-old, who was born and brought up in Delhi. "The Metro is the reason I can still hold my job. Imagine how much it would cost me in petrol to drive all the way." She estimates that it would be over 10,000 a month; using the Metro cuts it down to 1,500. Travelling in a bus feels unsafe to her. Shifting to Delhi is not an option since her husband works in Sonipat. Plus, there's family to take care of her baby at home when she's at work.
The Metro means different things to different people, whether you are in New Delhi, New York, London or Paris. It can just be another mode of public transport that takes you from point A to B. It can be a place where you indulge in some innocent people-watching. You can enjoy the air-conditioning while the sun blazes outside, try not to overhear an argument, discuss existential questions with friends, meet your sweetheart, read that book that has long been sitting in your bag, talk yourself into writing that complicated article. Or just watch the city through the glass windows. You can do pretty much anything and everything while on the move.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January 28, 2023 من Mint Mumbai.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January 28, 2023 من Mint Mumbai.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
How to make Elon Musk's budget-slashing dreams come true
Any serious fiscal policies must go through Congress. That may end up being the key test of DOGE and Trump
BOREDOM: THE INVISIBLE CAUSE OF RISING ATTRITION
They deliver on the job, but many employees are just going through the motions with one eye on the exits
Viksit Bharat needs big plans and coordinated action
Let's transform manufacturing and agriculture, decarbonize the economy and unleash growth led by women
Indonesia will need to tread a fine line after T rump's return
Jez/farms relations with China mustn,t send out the wrong signals
What if Donald Trump keeps his promises on economic policy?
The 2024 US election is one of those rare instances where there is palpable fem that the winner will actually follow through
The Indian state is still to fully unshackle our economy
Economic success needs the state to function as an enlightened referee and be less statist
Let's tackle the harsh realities of mental health at the workplace
Ensure an inclusive work environment with policies of reasonable accommodation and support
Hypersonic weapons in the age of A!: Be careful
Indias hypersonic missile marks a leap and updates its nuclear deterrence. But dangers lurk in the global race for these speedy and sneaky weapons, wit/z AI -use posing new risks
How working abroad gives young Indians a wealth edge back home
Working overseas gives them the advantage to earn in stronger currencies and benefit from exchange rates
FALLING MARKETS ARE JUST WHAT YOU NEED: HERE'S WHY
For some of you, a market downturn may be an ideal time for a complete financial reset
