It was 9.23 pm. Electronics City Phase I wore a deserted look. There were three women employees at the bus stop. They seemed oblivious to the fact that they were being noticed by men there.
Ranjini, an IT professional, said, “This place is pretty safe. I was here till 9.45 pm yesterday. I had missed my bus to Banashankari. I decided to take a bus to Silk Board and catch another one from there. I did not have any issue,” said Ranjini.
I asked her if she would help me get to Banashankari. She directed me to a bus, but said I would have to take another bus at Silk Board.
We boarded that fairly crowded bus. Most passengers there were from IT companies. While some were busy with their iPads, others looked exhausted.
On approaching Silk Board, Ranjini showed a bus to Banashankari and went to another bus stop. As I boarded the bus (501A),I occupied a seat in the front. Overall, the ride proved to be extremely safe.
As I was a few stops away from the last stop, I realised that I was the only girl in the bus. This attracted a lot of unnecessary attention and staring, especially from a man sitting across my seat. However, knowing fully well that I had colleagues tracking my every move, I felt quite safe. Had I been alone, I would have probably got out of the bus and taken an autorickshaw instead.
It was almost 10.23 pm when I reached Banashankari.
Through this journey, I understood that there is safety in numbers and some routes are less unsafe than others.