It was quite late at night and the rehearsals were still not over. Srijana Adhikari, an artist at Mandala Theater, a newbie to the theater scene, was receiving call after call from home. She suddenly lost her focus and stepped on a sharp nail. The foot started to bleed profusely. “I still remember shedding tears of pain, fear and frustration. The director then decided to pack up and sent me home immediately,” she recalls.

That was five years ago. But it’s still difficult for her when the rehearsals carry on till late at night. Public transportations aren’t available and cabs are unsafe. These are the times when she wishes she owned a private vehicle. “Under such circumstances, I ask my male co-artists to drop me home,” she says.