Vignette: Shameless Men

Aman and I were in Connaught Place after his day at work. At around 5:30 p.m., we sat at our usual spot on the benches near the Inner Circle of the A Block. Aman worked at a bank nearby and so this became our regular spot to meet for tea. That evening Aman had his orange lanyard around his neck with the English words ‘Bank of Baroda’ printed on it and his identification badge was loosely tucked into his buttoned shirt. As we were chatting, Aman got a phone call from his girlfriend. He took a quick sip of his tea and picked up the call. They started a long conversation as she too had just finished work.

As they chatted, I decided to use the toilet in the meantime. I gently tapped Aman on his leg with my leg and nodded to indicate that I was going to the toilet just across the road. He did not respond but signalled that he understood by looking in the direction of the queue pouring out of the men's toilet. So, I walked over to join the queue. The toilet complex itself was a rectangular concrete box on the edge of two intersecting roads. It was divided into two parts, with signs in English and Hindi, explaining one section for men and the other for women.

The door for the men's side was wide open with a constant flow of men coming in and out. In contrast, the door to the women's side was shut and had a more deserted look. Some men in the queue looked into the street as the crowds walked by, whilst others looked bored and yawned with their hands on their hips, impatiently waiting for their turn. As the queue inched forward, I noticed that Aman stood up and began to hover close to me whilst continuing his phone conversation. ‘They should have told you,’ I heard him say into the phone loudly as he laughed and played with the straps of his lanyard.

As my turn approached, I moved closer to the toilet entrance and stood at the door. I waited for an older man to leave so that I could step in.