“So, what’s in your bag?” It’s a question we’ve all asked our friends at one point or another. But if we take a closer look at the genders, the answers that come out couldn’t be more different!

Open up a woman’s purse and you will find a multitude of things. Ranging from lip gloss, hair ties, mints, sanitary napkins, the trusty Paracetamol and at least three Sharpies that stopped functioning a while back.

 Meanwhile, peek into a man’s backpack and you’re more likely to uncover a solitary pen (that somehow always works), some loose change, and maybe a crushed protein bar wrapper from three years ago.

It’s like we’re carrying around two completely different worlds on our shoulders! Yet there are some things that we just can’t do without. They are an extension of our personality and the world would stop spinning if we don’t have them as an emotional support ornament!

“For me, it is the hair tie I always wear on my wrist,” says Agranee Singh, about the one thing that comforts her in times of distress. She is a 21-year-old Fashion Communication student, currently in her second year at Pearl Academy, Delhi.

“The reason behind that is a deep one. Growing up, I had self-harm tendencies, so my therapist told me to have a rubber band around my wrist to strike myself in order to curb the urge. I replaced it with a plastic one later so that I’m reminded of the triumphs in life and how I’ve overcome big struggles. It gives me strength, and if I don’t have it on me, I can’t function genuinely,” she adds.

Agranee’s words shed light on the weight that can lie behind even the most ordinary everyday items. What may appear to be a mundane accessory can actually carry profound personal meaning.

“This ancient pair of earphones is the real hero in my life,” Raghav Oberoi, a 21-year-old freelance graphic designer living in Delhi, admits. “They’re frayed, the sound quality is questionable, and they’re probably due for an upgrade. But they have been with me through thick and thin. Whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed or just need to tune out the world for a bit, I’ll put these on and just lose myself in my music. They may not be fancy, but these earphones help me to calm down and focus. I wouldn’t know what to do without them, honestly.”

And then there’s Gaurika Singh, a 17-year-old student in grade 12, studying at Delhi Public School, Noida, who has found solace in the most unexpected of places.

“The tiny plastic toys you get inside a Kinder Joy? I’ve got, like, a whole collection of them in my bag,” she admits. ” Whenever I’m anxious, I reach in, grab one, and suddenly, life feels manageable again. It’s very immature, but it never fails to put a smile on my face. Gotta keep that inner child alive, you know?”

At the end of the day, the stuff we carry around says a lot about how we navigate this wild world of ours. Some people pack for survival, some for nostalgia, and some for pure, unadulterated chaos (15 lip balms and not even one functional charger, you know who you are). But whether it’s a lucky charm, a stress reliever, or an entire pharmacy disguised as a handbag.

So, the next time someone asks, “What’s in your bag?”, just know, the answer is never a simple wallet or keys. It’s personality. It’s emotional baggage. And if you’re lucky, it’s also a tiny Kinder toy.