No Agenda Space: a movement of silent companionship growing across India Premium

Women across India are creating safe, silent spaces for each other to exist without expectations or labor demands.

In late March, Rakshitha A., 32, went to a stranger’s house to read a book. She settled on a sofa next to a sleepy dog, only getting up to make herself a cup of tea. Soon, she was joined by another unfamiliar woman who positioned herself at the desk in the cosy living room. The women occasionally smiled or nodded at each other but rarely spoke. While this may seem strange to most, it is a glimpse into a silent movement where women are creating safe spaces for each other.

It was in January this year that 36-year-old Meghna Chaudhury, training to be a therapist, decided to open up her home in Indiranagar, Bengaluru, to women and non-binary people, to work, paint, sleep, read, and more importantly, do nothing, if they so wished. Her post about this ‘No Agenda Space’ blew up on social media, and in just a day, 20-30 women had reached out to Chaudhury asking if they could use the space.

The idea for this initiative sparked from an unexpected afternoon of “non-talking companionship” between three of her friends, who were strangers to each other, and happened to come over on the same day in mid-January. Women existing in each other’s company without any expectations, or labour demands, made Chaudhury aware of the lack of such spaces. So, she created one.

“I named it No Agenda Space because it’s just that — a third space that isn’t their home or workplace and doesn’t demand anything, not even a conversation, from anyone who identifies as a woman,” she says. “This space is completely anti-performative small talk. But it’s often expected of women. I wanted to create a space where they can just exist.” Chaudhury’s two-bedroom apartment is open to strangers five days a week from noon to 4:30 p.m., after prior registration online. People are free to use her WiFi, grab snacks from the kitchen or even prepare something for themselves.

Starting this month, she is asking for a contribution of ₹80 per head to cover costs like electricity, water and so on. For safety reasons, Chaudhury has made it mandatory for people to bring an identity proof. She also ensures there are two or three women visiting at the same time. Her dog, Millie, is often a participant at these sessions and can be found cuddling up with a stranger or taking a snooze with another.

One thing Chaudhury is clear about: there will be no hosting. “It’s my rejection of the idea of a woman having to host. I don’t want the responsibility of catering to other people’s needs in my own home. I am tired of that,” she explains.

Increasingly, across India, many people like Chaudhury live in the shadows of urban loneliness and find it exhausting to maintain adult friendships. There is also the constant labour that women, especially, have to do in any space. Be it physical or emotional, something is always asked of their presence. “Among all these responsibilities, you don’t get time for yourself. So, sometimes leisure is just sleeping without answering five phone calls from your children, partner or colleague,” says Chaudhury.