I am angry

The bus barely halted and they jumped in. It was getting late, already dark in the cold winter evening of Delhi. Luckily this bus was going to their destination. As they settled down in their seats, they found it strange that instead of being filled to capacity, there were barely a handful people in it. They carried on discussing their plans for the next weekend as they reminisced what a lovely time they just had.

One of the fellow passengers started gesturing to her. Being quite used to the obnoxious behaviour of men on the roads and streets, she did what generations of women had been trained to do … ignore. After a while, her boyfriend couldn’t take it any longer and asked the man to mind his business. He was quite angry. So was the offender. Suddenly the conductor came between them in a bid to settle ruffled feathers.

In a flash, things changed, two guys caught hold of the man and bashed him up while remaining caught hold of the girl and beat her up. They raped her in turns while she kept yelling and crying for help. Imagine six men to one girl …… She fought with every ounce of energy and courage she had. She was angry. They looked like men she saw everyday, but were worse than Rakshahsas.

They were finally satiated and threw the near naked bodies of the two from the bus. Inspite of it being a busy road, no one stopped to help the two, till one Braveheart,at least called the police…. Who would bother to get involved? And that too for someone else’s daughter or wife!

By the next morning the whole country was angry, the papers and television channels had only one news to report. All the details were meticulously presented. In school children would discuss with their teachers, for that’s what all the parents or nearly all the parents were watching at home. It was necessary to settle the nerves and soothe the fears.

The verdict was given within a year! But it took 8 years for the final punishment be meted out. 8 long years…  when they had snuffed out a life in a matter of minutes and hours. Imagine, they even pleaded for mercy!

The blood must have boiled in their parents’ veins.

The anger must have surged in the hearts of their kith and kin.

The friends on social media would have shunned them.

They would have found out in no time they had committed the most despicable crime, yet they had people defending them, blaming the girl.

And because the blood did not boil for some, we still read about toddlers and teens being mass raped. By people who they might be calling uncle, or grandpa. Together they show their strength and power. On social media, unknown strangers dare to troll women and openly declare what they would do to them. So much for security and safety.

I am angry.