Lady in white

A journey isn't limited to travelling,it is much more. It teaches you, trains you and most importantly gives you memories. Not always the memories are good ones.Sometimes they may leave you to a big question.
So i was travelling via northern railways and as any other passenger I was quietly sitting and enjoying the view outside,occasionally fiddling with my phone when some commotion caught my attention . As soon as the train started everyone settled except for these two women. They were dressed in pale white saree with basic slipper and had their hairs cut really short. One of  them in her late 50's and other one too young to be carrying such an attire. So the aged lady was trying to finish up her morning chores(as it seemed) the latter politely helped her and while she did her thing the younger one sat on the empty seats.
Her stature completely calm and composed with no jewels, unlike other woman of her age. Her eyes were permanently zeroed to the ground not meeting anyone else's and she kept on arranging her white veil to cover her head.
 I was too confused to judge who she really was. Was she a widow ? Did such a practice of seclusion still exists in India ?
We have often read in  history how widows were treated. How they were snatched with their right of living a basic life? All this disgusted me and so I became curious to interact with her.
To my surprise, she switched her seat and sat next to me. But before sitting she did something really unexpected. She placed a white sheet and then sat on it, as if her trail would make the seat dirty for others or what.
In any case it was quiet for a while before my patience broke and I tried to strike a conversation. We talked for a couple of minutes and then i asked her the much debated question in my head who she really was ? Her reply was something completely unexpected.

She wasn't a widow afterall, she was a 'sadhu' (a saint). A saint who has left these earthly pleasures and stays in the path enlightened by her guru.

How ironical it was. While some women (widows) are intentionally denied of their rights by the society, others (the saints) choose to leave it on purpose. A chosen path and an imposed destiny.

Well was it me over thinking or a general perception that anyone would have framed in my position is something I am still struggling to figure out.

But for all I know life is beautiful and one must enjoy it.
God wouldn't have gifted us with all these pleasures if he wanted us to part with them to be able to devote ourselves to him :)