How to master the art of conversation on an Indian rail journey
David Porter wins £250 in this week's travel writing competition for his account of gaining a fascinating perspective on Indian food, culture and family life.
Perhaps I should not have been surprised to be in conversation with a very sociable Indian woman. Navya was seated next to me on the train to Kalka from Delhi. She asked lots of questions – was I married? Did I have children?
What did I do for a living? What was I doing in her country? Familiar questions but not exactly those asked by the aggressive ticket touts we met in Delhi.
Navya gave as much information as she asked of me. Married with a daughter of 10, she was an architect; her husband a corporate lawyer. She seemed very modern. Part of the aspiring middle classes who will change the face of India.
When she married she did not move in with her in-laws (the usual action of a Hindu). However, her mother-in-law now lives with her and her husband after becoming widowed. “Difficult,” I said. “One is not designed to live with parents when one grows up.” She said she listens a lot to her mother-in-law to reduce tensions.
Navya’s daughter is doing well at school, but has given up classical dancing lessons. “She decided she did not want to do it. I could not force her to carry on.”
I question her – does she like watching cricket?
“No I detest it. But my husband has a passion for it. He watches all the matches. I know what is going on because of him.”
What about films? “ I have seen the Rocky movies 10 times.” I look surprised. “My husband likes American films so I watch with him.” She shakes her head when I ask whether she likes them.
She does not reveal whether she is a practising Hindu but volunteers that her husband is an atheist.
Does she eat meat? “I am vegetarian and I have tasted meat. I did not like it. But my husband eats everything that walks.”
Does this mean you have a cooking issue in your house? “No. I do all the cooking. Even his meat. There is a belief in India that men have no place in the kitchen.”
Modern? In some ways yes, but traditional family values are still practised in the household. They look after the elderly, for instance, by accommodating her mother-in-law.
She said she only ever wanted one child and for that child to be a girl. When pregnant she never thought she would have a son, always a daughter. A strong-willed one at that. “She tells me off if I drop litter. They teach them in school not to drop it.”
Complimentary food to eat; newspapers to read. Enough distractions, but my focus is on this delightful Indian woman. I doubt I would have such a wide-ranging chat on an English train with a stranger.
How to enter the next round
Email your entry, in 500 words (with the text in the body of the email), to justback@telegraph.co.uk. For terms and conditions, see telegraph.co.uk/tt-justback.
The winner will receive £250 in the currency of their choice from the Post Office.
The Post Office is the UK’s largest travel money provider, offering up to 80 currencies in more than 11,500 branches with 0 per cent commission.
All currencies can also be ordered online for next day branch or home delivery. Check exchange rates at postoffice.co.uk/travel-money/currency-converter.
