While it appears as though this daily act of walking is vigorous exercise, the pace is so slow that its best benefit is perhaps only the bond of friendship that it strengthens. One of these aunties once paid for my groceries at the supermarket because my digital payment platform wasn’t working. During the pandemic, many people reached out to the elderly who lived close by to check on them because they knew them from these times of bonding.
You don’t always get to pick your neighbours, and perhaps that is the nicest thing about the evening walk: you get to meet everyone right where they are. The bedrock of this friendship is the physical proximity and a commitment to this routine of walking. Now that I have a baby daughter whom I take on evening walks, there are so many women of different ages whom I bump into and who are interested in my daughter’s development and I, in turn, know of their families, even though I haven’t once set foot in their houses. Mrs D’Souza with the garden gnomes and ceramic swans, who always knows the prices of everything at the nearest supermarkets; Shalini who feeds all the stray dogs; Radha Aunty who grows the most beautiful flowering plants and fragrant Tulsi; Sheena who has a homoeopathy clinic; and Farhana who bakes the nicest homemade bread.
Walking demands a certain vulnerability and keen attention to one’s surroundings—navigating potholes and weaving through children cycling past on bicycles. While walking together, you develop an understanding of the diverse and idiosyncratic components of each other’s personalities. Some will unfailingly comment on the weather, while others will keep dabbing even the tiniest bit of sweat off their face with a dupatta. Power walkers are on a mission, others are leisurely gazing at birds. Dog walkers stroll close to the trees, while others are using these moments to have phone conversations that they could in their homes. This casual platform for friendships is so beautifully underrated: the waiting for each other on the street. Marvelling together at plants on the way. Sitting on benches to catch a breath or a quick exchange of news. Loosely linking arms while walking. Swaying to the side as a vehicle passes. Waving in unison to another neighbour. Sometimes walking in quiet intimacy, where the comfort of companionship does not demand conversation.
This is a way for women to feel more at home in the world, to share their lives, exchange stories, cultivate community gardens and care for one another. This is the sliver of time that belongs just to them; phones and responsibilities set aside, fully present in the moment. When the twilight glow sets in, everyone retreats quietly to their homes, refreshed by their rendezvous.
Also read:
A brief history of the intimate tradition of oral recipe sharing
5 main benefits of walking after eating
