We started our journey through Madhya Pradesh, going on to UP, Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh, back to Delhi and then finally returning through a route which sliced through Rajasthan and entered Mumbai through Gujarat. Our final tally was around 6,500 km!The pace we kept was crazy. Sometimes we drove 950 km in a single night, worked through the morning shooting in the hot, mid-day sun and then carried on to yet another city 12 hours away! Often food breaks were at odd timings, dhabas being an important ingredient in keeping body and soul together.We covered a gamut of individuals on camera: from women of differing faiths in cities to stories of women in villages; from the odd social worker to politicians; from the keepers of Islam to the keepers of Hinduism and Sikhism; from fundamentalists to the moderates. The views of the man on the street to those in privileged circumstances. I cannot say that we were exhaustive in our coverage, despite how it sounds. This is a vast country made up of ever so many mind sets that it is impossible to plumb an issue's depth in so short a time. Vinta and her group can be proud that they at least attempted to see reality for themselves, that Vinta put her money where her mouth is (she added to the UNESCO budget out of her own pocket). There is so much we all returned with. The challenge turned out to be not only one of interacting with people of the country, but also of the inter-dynamics of a bunch of strangers travelling together under grueling circumstances, bonded by default for about 20 days.Exhilarating, exhausting, annoying, mind-blowing - the trip was all of many things at one time. In discovering the world around us, we were discovering ourselves. Being exposed to incredible stories of both individual triumphs and of personal devastation. Ah, annoyance that fellow beings could sometimes take childish proportions, when arguments about protection of one's physical space in the car ensued (`don't touch my thigh with your toe!'). It can all seem funny in hindsight! But it isn't that funny when you are tired and cramped.Sleep remained at a premium till the end!Silly moments of fun and meetings with strong-minded individuals made the experience a memorable one. How can I forget the moment in Varanasi, when I joined Vinta to happily slug a delicious lassi. She had just finished hers, and as I sipped, I looked about to find a horrid little mouse eating at the dahi my lassi was made out of! The stall owner was completely unfazed. He casually shooed the rodent away, leaving the dahi yet exposed. At my umbrage, he was confused. What was the big deal? Rats were a regular feature and after all, they were Ganpati ki savari (Lord Ganesha's charioteers), so we should have felt honoured at a visit by God's own little creatures!The first stretch we did on the Grand Trunk Road made me all emotional. We were travelling down the same road that people had for over 400 years. This was the first National Highway, linking Peshawar with Calcutta, built by Sher Shah Suri in the 1600s! Wow.The pleasure of beautifully-spoken language flowed over me as we crossed from an Urdu-speaking Lucknow to chaste Hindi in Varanasi. An amazing, public service campaign in Jhansi, which makes a status symbol out of toilets. As Vinta said, men can happily use the fields, but women have it tougher than that, don't they?The innocence of young, virgin widows in Rajasthan pierced a fierce pain through the heart. Some had never even seen their husbands before they were thrust into widowhood as child brides, as long ghunghats covered their faces. A visit to a Sati temple. The family of the lady was educated, Masters degrees being the norm. They considered themselves progressive, yet they revered the family sati. Came to the temple for blessings on every occasion. Asked her name and the exact year of sati? They knew neither!Then there was the meeting with Bibi Jagir Kaur in Chandigarh, a woman whose story is one of great personal achievement. Her strength and calm confidence is a palpable thing. She is the first woman in the history of Sikhism to head the SGPC, the governing body of Gurudwaras. She talked proudly of her two daughters, sadly the very next day, after our meeting, her 19-year-old daughter, a medical student, died under mysterious circumstances.Emotionally too, a lot has occurred, which needs to be sorted out. Pain and sweetness intertwine inexorably, with hope and hopelessness. Anger at attitudes can sometimes overwhelm, I have no illusions about gender inequality, but when faced with actual examples, it hurts. Really hurts. The answers I thought I had before, I am now not so sure of.Nothing is an absolute is the only constant. For example, if one thought that education is the ultimate empowerment for women, one came across educated women from educated families not free to make their own choices. A 26-year-old MBA graduate female has had the most harrowing recent past, being persecuted for choosing her own mate. The story is echoed a few miles out in a village, amongst the poor and uneducated. So what is the difference? None really, it is all about a `woman's lot'. Nevertheless, I can make one firm recommendation. Next time you want a break from life or work, drive out. Forget planes and trains and rock-set itineraries. You have heard that travel broadens the mind? It does.(anuradhatandon@yahoo.com)Anuradha Tandon is an ad film-maker.
