The Solitary Watch
The Social Life of Rajani Pandit
Dec 25, 2016
Rajani Pandit has never married, a choice she frames as a professional necessity. “Part of my job is to be accessible 24/7,” she explains. “You can reach me at any time of the day or night on my phone.” This total devotion to her trade has come at the expense of her personal well-being; she admits that she no longer sleeps soundly. Yet, there is no trace of regret in her testimony: “I am not complaining. I love what I do.” (Vasundara)
“Part of my job is to be accessible 24/7... both are very demanding, full-time jobs. At one point, I did consider adopting a girl child, but there never was time.”
When questioned by a society that often prioritizes domesticity for women, Pandit is frequently asked if she still believes in the concept of love. Her response is nuanced, distinguishing between the various forms of human connection. “I can’t say there’s no such thing as love,” she asserts. “Love exists in this world. But the love of a mother for her child is fundamentally different from the love between a girl and a boy, or a husband and wife.”
Pandit further clarifies that a conventional marriage was never an aspiration. She maintains that the dual roles of a wife and a high-stakes investigator would have been incompatible, as the demands of her business would inevitably detract from her family’s needs. Although she once considered adopting a daughter, the unrelenting pace of her career prevented her from following through. For Pandit, the agency became her primary commitment, leaving little room for the traditional milestones of a personal life.