Nirbhaya

“I want to eat panipuri, Mummy”
14-year old said, holding her tummy
“Can we go to that roadside shop?
It’s not even late” she motioned at the clock

“I have work to do” her mother said,
“Go by yourself” she added while dusting the bed
“Okay fine, I’ll go by myself” the girl replied
“I am a big girl” she declared with some pride

She wore a sweater and left to eat
Panipuri- Something no eatable can beat
She reached the shop and ate
7 o-clock, still not that late

Just entered her street, she was returning back
Walked some steps and a man on cycle passed, taking her aback
In a flash of second, she just stood there
Trying to understand the air.
It took her a second to solve the quest
Feeling some pain in her left breast
The man had grabbed it tight
She felt herself turning pale white
She managed to turn back in shock
Just to see the man smiling as slowly she walk

His cycle disappeared with the turn of road
The only thing on that street now was an ad board
She felt uneasy as tears rolled down
Not knowing what to do, or say, or should she frown?

She walked as slowly as the teardrops rolled
Reached her home and door she bolt
Her mother asked her what happened, becoming tense
She narrated and her tears turned more intense

Her mother furiously went on to say
“You should have shouted, should have hold him in the way”
And a hundred condolences and advices
On how to handle such crisis
All she thought was to never go out alone again
But her brain declared that would just be insane

In a day, she went back to normal but learned to see
How a person becomes what he/she set out to be

There is evil, pain, there is blue
There is evil, pain, there is blue
There are shattering experiences too
One has to emerge out of those a winner
Not to be crushed but some sinner

In a country of largest number of rape victims
In a country of poor judiciary systems
You cannot live in fear, you have got to be strong
Sitting in a locked up room would just be wrong.