In the 'ladies compartment'
The burkha-clad lady
Drowned in her phone
The Sikhni reciting hymns
The fisher-woman
With her shiny nose ring
The girl with a cross
Tattooed on her cheek
Are all extensions of me

We form a 'ladies' monster
Our shiny clips, good-luck rings
Hair tickling, smacking our faces
Our perfumes- one heavy scent
Of love, duties, responsibilities,
Looking forward to coffee,
Shopping with a friend
Dinner with a lover
Confronting parents.

Our lipsticks
Our eyebrows
Our skin tone
Our hair
Our hearts
Our silences
All speak one mother tongue
No brand, no tag, no status, no religion

We don't hide underarms and cellulite
We are not ashamed of our bulges
Sweaty love handles peek boldly
Faces gather more frown lines

We talk about failed marriages
And miscarriages
Stock market hullabaloo
Misleading National policies
Absolutely no taboos!

We talk loud, we laugh loud
We hum songs, we sit quiet
We become the rhythm
The order, the chaos
We become the silence
We become the noise

We are the multi-armed
Multi-faced, multi-dimensional
Invincible Goddess

This coach is our shrine.

You are welcome to pay your respects,
Anytime.