It's My Right To Be Free and Safe
By: Sharon Supriya
It took me 2 days to decide whether I should post this on my blog. Thinking about the response from everybody on my daredevil act. Tuesday night (30th April 2013) around 7:30 p.m when I was walking back home talking over the phone with my mother. Three boys passed some nasty comments standing near branded vegetable store (Reliance Fresh). I ignored and walked as if I didn't listen, then they followed and two among them walked past me and stood in front, and the third brushed his shoulder against mine and said the same thing. This made me furious, I yelled "Kyu sale, bahot ud raha tere jaise logon ki wajah se har din mujhe Rape ki kahaniya padna padta hain." Two among them moved back the very second I raised my voice, but one just looked at me and smiled. I took my sandals off to hit him, he suddenly started running. Guess this boosted my confidence I ran behind him, fling my sandals on his back, he started running faster.
I was smiling but I was also shivering on the crowded road. Just then 2 boys on the bike came from nowhere helped me get my sandal back, asked me what happened, I said. " nothing" gasped for breath and then said "these are sick people". The boy on the bike asked, "do you know them?" " NO, some silly street walkers, who think who can do anything and nobody would bother."
The boy on the bike said, "do you mind if we follow you or drop you to your house, so that they don't bother to follow u back...you will be safe". I said " NO. Ofcourse not, I can handle this." Both the boys insisted, although both seemed sweet and well behaved they scared me even more. I just replied " Its so sweet of you, but yes I can handle it, you may leave".
By then I realised my mom was still over the phone, as soon as I said hello, my mom was yelling on the other side "what happened, I heard you were yelling at somebody. Are you Ok?"
I said, "Yes! nothing can go wrong when your around" and narrated the whole story feeling proud. She was stammering, "go home and dare you walk out of the office late, why don't you understand, why do you have to walk, when your late. Cant you just pick a rick?"
Now it was my turn to reply, " why shouldn't I walk home late at night? why should I pick an auto? why should I be scared, you have covered me enough, and these guys do it because we are scared, when I yelled at one of them, he was smiling, but when I protested he was on his feet. He was more scared than me, mumma. I understand your feelings mumma, I am a mother too. Atleast your daughter can revolt my 2 year old daughter can't even do that. Sometime we have to brake the norm of girls have to be like this to prevent harm. Yes I did ignore them and walked away, but if I hadn't revolted even when he touched, that would have boosted his confidence to try worse things on me or some other woman. I can't wait for laws to change, or somebody else to fight for me. I have to fight for my own existence...." and I was going on and mom said, "you never listen" and she was quite. I replied, "OK! am sorry, I will try and reach early from tomorrow"
Whoever listened to this incident ... my dad, husband, sisters... etc all reacted exactly the same way my mother did. I had to promise each one of them that I will never walk alone past 7 on the street.
Crazy world isn't it. Not my fault, but I will still be restricted to walk home alone at night. Not their fault either, they are worried about their little daughter, sister, wife...etc. For ages this has been the same, it will not be too long when I will be talking just like my mom, dad, husband and sisters to my daughter. Why and how long?
It took me 2 days to decide whether I should post this on my blog. Thinking about the response from everybody on my daredevil act. Tuesday night (30th April 2013) around 7:30 p.m when I was walking back home talking over the phone with my mother. Three boys passed some nasty comments standing near branded vegetable store (Reliance Fresh). I ignored and walked as if I didn't listen, then they followed and two among them walked past me and stood in front, and the third brushed his shoulder against mine and said the same thing. This made me furious, I yelled "Kyu sale, bahot ud raha tere jaise logon ki wajah se har din mujhe Rape ki kahaniya padna padta hain." Two among them moved back the very second I raised my voice, but one just looked at me and smiled. I took my sandals off to hit him, he suddenly started running. Guess this boosted my confidence I ran behind him, fling my sandals on his back, he started running faster.
I was smiling but I was also shivering on the crowded road. Just then 2 boys on the bike came from nowhere helped me get my sandal back, asked me what happened, I said. " nothing" gasped for breath and then said "these are sick people". The boy on the bike asked, "do you know them?" " NO, some silly street walkers, who think who can do anything and nobody would bother."
The boy on the bike said, "do you mind if we follow you or drop you to your house, so that they don't bother to follow u back...you will be safe". I said " NO. Ofcourse not, I can handle this." Both the boys insisted, although both seemed sweet and well behaved they scared me even more. I just replied " Its so sweet of you, but yes I can handle it, you may leave".
By then I realised my mom was still over the phone, as soon as I said hello, my mom was yelling on the other side "what happened, I heard you were yelling at somebody. Are you Ok?"
I said, "Yes! nothing can go wrong when your around" and narrated the whole story feeling proud. She was stammering, "go home and dare you walk out of the office late, why don't you understand, why do you have to walk, when your late. Cant you just pick a rick?"
Now it was my turn to reply, " why shouldn't I walk home late at night? why should I pick an auto? why should I be scared, you have covered me enough, and these guys do it because we are scared, when I yelled at one of them, he was smiling, but when I protested he was on his feet. He was more scared than me, mumma. I understand your feelings mumma, I am a mother too. Atleast your daughter can revolt my 2 year old daughter can't even do that. Sometime we have to brake the norm of girls have to be like this to prevent harm. Yes I did ignore them and walked away, but if I hadn't revolted even when he touched, that would have boosted his confidence to try worse things on me or some other woman. I can't wait for laws to change, or somebody else to fight for me. I have to fight for my own existence...." and I was going on and mom said, "you never listen" and she was quite. I replied, "OK! am sorry, I will try and reach early from tomorrow"
Whoever listened to this incident ... my dad, husband, sisters... etc all reacted exactly the same way my mother did. I had to promise each one of them that I will never walk alone past 7 on the street.
Crazy world isn't it. Not my fault, but I will still be restricted to walk home alone at night. Not their fault either, they are worried about their little daughter, sister, wife...etc. For ages this has been the same, it will not be too long when I will be talking just like my mom, dad, husband and sisters to my daughter. Why and how long?
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