Vignette: Men's ‘Innocent’ Fun?

As I was walking home from the Lajpat Nagar metro station, a young woman was walking to the metro station. It was around 8:00 p.m., and the market area around the station was bustling. She had earphones in her ears and was wearing a t-shirt and jeans. My mind was full of thoughts from a day in the field as I walked around the traffic to get home in time for dinner. The young woman and I were about to cross each other when a car driving along the road suddenly pulled up close towards us. It was a white sedan and I could see four young men sitting in the car. As the car came closer towards us, a slow thump of music poured out from it. I noticed the music getting louder as the front passenger window of the car started to lower. The events that followed happened quickly and lasted a mere 10 to 15 seconds.

Initially unfazed by the car, I thought that it was a driver trying to park his car or navigate the crowded streets of the busy market area. But a sudden loud horn from the car punctured the air close to us and got both the young woman and I looking at it. By this point, the young woman and I had come to a standstill, as had the car. Through the front screen of the car, I could see the young male driver leaning forward on the steering wheel, staring at the young woman. The driver then stretched out one of his hands towards the passenger-side window, across the chest of his young male friend sitting on the passenger seat. With his outstretched arm, the driver clicked his fingers at the young woman and waved at her with a smile. I could see both the driver and the young male passenger looking at the woman and waiting for her to respond.

At that point, the young woman cautiously moved her hand to clutch the strap of her handbag. With the other hand, she took off her earphones and bent her body forwards to peer into the car window from a distance. I wondered if the young men perhaps wanted directions or some help. But then I heard the driver say to the young woman in English, ‘Hiiii … hello.’