Sourire❣

Scenario 9:

A girl was traveling in a metro, wearing denim shorts with a crop top. She was sitting on her seat while scrolling through the news feed on her mobile.

Suddenly she heard the snickering of someone. So she lifted her head and saw that they were a group of three young boys, sitting in front of her. They were gazing at her legs while passing some mean comments at her, making her squirm in her seat uncomfortably. Those were the same guys who touched her inappropriately when she was boarding the metro earlier.

An old lady who sat beside her just shook her head and started mumbling to herself and scolded that girl in a low voice.

"These days girls are becoming so unrestrained. How can you wear such clothes when you are coming outside? See. if you didn't wear them, they wouldn't have passed such comments on you. So dress well when you come outside otherwise they will attract unwanted attention and portrays you as a characterless girl." She lectured that girl while adjusting her glasses on her nose bridge.

That girl immediately got up from her seat while keeping her phone aside and stood in the middle of those guys and that old lady.

"Granny, let me tell you a story. There was a girl. She used to wear traditional dresses all the time. She never defied her cultures and the values set by her family or let's say, rules set by society. She went to the city to achieve her dreams of becoming a doctor. When she was returning to her hostel from her college, she was brutally raped by her seniors and her unconscious body was thrown into the bushes. Do you know what happened after she gained consciousness.? She came onto the road in her naked state and stood in front of a moving vehicle. She ended her life along with her dreams and aspirations after getting robbed of her innocence."

"Does her wearing traditional dresses stopped her from getting raped by them.? No..right. She killed herself. The culprits don't know that she has a mother and father who was waiting to see her daughter excel in her career, a little sister who loves her a lot and looked up to her as an inspiration. I can wear traditional clothes irrespective of my comfort but can you guarantee me that I won't become another victim just like my sister. I wish I could tell her that she shouldn't be ashamed for something that she literally wasn't responsible for but I didn't get a chance." She said and immediately wiped her tears as she didn't want to portray herself as a weak person.

"Moreover, I fed up with this society. They have a problem with everything from what we wear and speak to how we behave, but why does it always have to be our girls to bear the burnt.?"

"You told me to stop wearing this kind of clothes..right. Just like that why don't you ask those guys to keep their gazes and mouths under control.? Is it because I am a girl.?" She questioned that old lady while pointing at those guys and scoffed scornfully.

"Even in the epic stories like Ramayana and Mahabharata, women are the ones who became the victim of society. When someone questioned the honor of his wife,sita..why didn't lord Ram stood up for her instead he sent her away to satisfy the so-called society.? How is it fair.? Wherever we go, we have to face the judgment of everyone. Their comments didn't hurt me a lot but your words did. Some words make bruises that don't fade away. Being a woman, how can you say that my dressing sense is the reason for the harassment.? Sorry..we can't even call it as harassment, what's happening these days is sexual terrorism."

"Today I have to speak up for myself, speak up for the other women who are receiving the same treatment or others who might receive in the future." Saying this she turned to those boys and glanced at them coldly.

"Do you guys think that passing comments or teasing someone is a great deed..? Do you think everyone will stay silent in the fear of involving in the scandals.? No. I won't. I already faced a lot of judgment. Life was never easy on me. It's time to raise the voice and make you feel about your sisters and mothers." When she saw that, her's was the next stop, she grabbed her bag and phone from her seat and glanced at those boys and that old lady for one last time.