Yet another day of pushing shoving nudging…every morning, the whole process passes in the picture window of my mind. Instances caught live in the camera of my eyes, and featured every day of my life. Sad truth!
I sat up. Moved out. Out on to the streets. Usual day, usual work. Running after a bus, get down and change for an auto and then run for the 10:30 am lecture. Easy life. Hard going.
Starts from the bus. They push against me, and I can say nothing. Anything said meets the reply, “it’s a crowded bus, where do you expect me to stand?”, and a leering smile follows. I box the man a hundred times in my imagination, in reality, am able to do nothing. Auto-the same old nudging, the same old pushing…no amount of bag and elbow can protect my dignity. I have given up.
OR have I? I have gotten tired of putting up this act of ignorance and adjustment.
Date: 4 years back
Place: Public bus
Event: I punched the middle aged man hard in the stomach, screamed myself hoarse, and caught him by the collar. A man old enough to my father, to have a family, and yet so shamelessly pushing against a young girl, considering her HELPLESS!
Result: The Man rushed off the bus without an appeal or apology. Co-passengers stared at me, all surprised – I don’t think they were surprised at my courage, but where surprised at my audacity to raise my voice.
Reaction: I was left shaking with anger and fear. It was my first time. I had finally found my voice. The incident re-instilled faith in my own self, the faith that I had lost since the age of six when I was first molested in a Public Transport.
Oath: Will not let go of any single person who hurts my dignity and self respect. I won’t adjust, I won’t ignore. I will fight back. Every time that I fight back, I know I will also ensure the safety of alteast two more women who would have been the next victims otherwise.
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