A very Good Morning to all present here. I am Ananda Kashyap of class XI. The topic in front of the house is ‘The society no longer cares about wrong being done as long as they are not affected’ and I am speaking for the motion.
Yesterday I read in a newspaper that a girl had been first raped in public and then murdered by three drunken men. The public chose to ignore the on goings and left the place as soon as possible. They could have saved the poor girl by just calling the police. But they moved on.
Petty criminals in buses don’t think twice before stabbing people for meager items while the rest of the crowd watches as spineless mute spectators.
The citizens of this city no longer---
“Ananda?” my mother called from the kitchen.
“Run to the market and get me a packet of red chilly powder, please.” my mother shouted from the kitchen. She came and stood right next to me holding out twenty rupees.
I was writing a debate for my English class and it had to be presented tomorrow. I had been at it, writing and re writing for the past two hours, trying to get it right. And when finally I was getting there, I was thus interrupted.
I got up, making a face as I looked at myself in the mirror. I was in no condition to go out. My neck length hair was looking as if I had just got up from sleeping. But I was not in a condition to listen to my mother’s scolding either. She was standing there which meant that if I didn’t go right then, she would shout. Therefore, I took the money from her and went out without delay. I took out my bicycle from the basement and left for the market. On the road I saw a few girls, who were passing by, look at my bedraggled state and smirk. I felt like shouting, “Hey! I’m generally not like this! ”
I bought the powder from a known shop and started on my way back. It was already dark and the street lights weren’t even on. I had to squint to see the way.
I was riding slowly because of the lack of light, determined not to miss a speed breaker and fall (or you can say, determined not to step on the spit on the road or slip on the peals and waste lying around and fall). That would be like the ultimate embarrassment. After all there were still a few people there.
I took a turn and was now riding down a road that was surprisingly deserted.
It’s only 8:20, I thought.
I was half-way down the road when I heard a scream. It was a girl. I stopped dead on my way, my mind working fast.
Should I run home or should I check what it is? It could be something extremely dangerous.
I had decided to rush back home when the girl screamed again. As curiosity and boldness took over fear, I turned my bike in the direction of the scream and rode at full speed. I felt like superman going to save a girl. Only that I was sixteen years old and I certainly didn’t have any super hero powers.
The girl was now screaming without a pause. She was crying too. The screams were growing louder and louder. I turned into the alley from where the screams were issuing and stopped dead. There was only one street light and the rest of the alley was very dark.
And then I saw it.
A girl was lying on the ground and a man was towering over her and slapping her continuously. He was drunk judging by the way he was shouting.
Then he took out a knife and pulled back his arm, about to strike her.
Just as he brought his hand down I subconsciously shouted “NO!” Then realizing what I had done, I started backing away, scared out of my wits.
But the damage had been done. The man turned his head towards me, his hand suspended in mid air. He got up and began moving towards me now. My bike was lying on the pavement.
Too far, I thought.
Panic numbed my senses. I could not think of anything. No one was there on the road. I looked up at the closed windows but no one was there. I saw a man hastily drawing the curtains of his window on the other side.
Just when the lunatic was a feet away from me, it hit me. My eyes wide and my hands fumbling at the back, I started backing away. When the lunatic was within an arm’s reach, he pulled back his hand and was about to strike. At that moment, the red chilly powder packet I was fumbling with tore open. I threw the powder in the man’s eyes.
“Aaarrrrrrrggghhhhhh” he shouted. Now he was backing away as I kept throwing powder into his eyes. I ran to the dustbin lying nearby and took off its lid. I smashed his head with it. Once, twice, thrice. I kept hitting him till he fell on the ground. I picked up a heavy stone lying on the pavement and hit it on his head with as much force and strength as I could muster.
As I turned to run away, he caught my wrist and twisted me around.
“You stupid girl. I will not let you go so easily.” he said. He caught hold of my top and brought me down to the floor. I was seriously shaking now. Because I was going to die. Because I was not going to see my family again. Because I didn’t even have a chance of getting away what with the guy over me like a hungry wolf.
Will you give up so easily, Ananda? I thought. Will you not even try and give this guy a punch in the guts? Will you not stand up for yourself and then regret why I didn’t even try. Harry Potter never gave up even when Voldemort was about to kill him in the graveyard! He even came back after he died to kill Voldemort.
I raised my hand and slapped him hard. Again and again. I took hold of his forehead and rubbed his bloody eyes rashly. He still didn’t let go of me. I bit his hand as hard as I could. This was what I was best at, biting people’s flesh off.
He let go of me and began screaming. I hit him with the dust bin lid and the stone again. The man was now unconscious or looked unconscious because his eyes were closed.
I ran to the girl on the ground. She was semi conscious.
Great.
I tried to pick her up but she was quite heavy. I shook her and she opened her eyes.
“Can you stand?” I asked
She nodded. Good.
I helped her to stand and took her by the arm in case she fell. She leaned heavily on me, making it difficult to walk fast. She looked to be around my age, only taller and heavier. I tried walking fast but she kept slipping.
I picked up my bike from the corner where I had dropped it. I made the girl sit on it and I walked, pulling the cycle.
I saw that man peeping from his window again.
“What are you looking at, you cowardly fool?” I said. “Just keep watching the show and don’t bother to help. Would you just stand at the window and watch if it was your own daughter here instead of us?”
Anger was now sprouting up in me. I wanted to get hold of that fool of a man and slap him senseless. I just couldn’t imagine how anyone could be so heartless and such a big sissy?
I couldn’t help feeling let down by the people of this city. It’s a country which prides itself for its culture, values, tradition, respect for others and empathy. But people can stand in their windows and look at what happens to a poor girl tut tuting, not bothering to come out of their houses and help. They can talk about times being bad and not safe for women but when they see that a woman is in trouble they won’t do anything. They are too absorbed in their own lives and choose to ignore such things so as to avoid any kind of trouble.
I realized that these people will never help anyone in need. They will not come forward to stop a crime from being done. They will be mere spectators of the on goings. They choose to stay away and let lives be spoiled and ruined.
All because they are cowards who are scared of any kind of hassle and police involvement. They think it will cause them some great trouble and bring bad name to their family. They are people who cry about corruption and about all the evil but don’t move a muscle to help. They are the sleeping citizens who want the politicians to wake up and do their bit. They can just complain. They can’t really help. That day for the first time I realized that humanity was soon going to be eradicated from this planet. Friends won’t be there for friends anymore. And no one can depend on anyone anymore.
I felt sick with anger, disgust and pity for the person who didn’t deserve to be called a man. Giving him a look that expressed all these feelings. I didn’t look back to see if the lunatic was conscious or if the silent spectator was still watching. I walked on.
I held onto the girl in case she fell down. Asking the way to her house I took her there as soon as I possibly could. I rang her door bell which was answered by her mother. She looked at me and then her gaze fell on her daughter.
She let out a shrill shriek and grabbed her daughter. She was already crying. She checked if her daughter was conscious and then slammed the door shut on my face.
Ok. I won’t lie. I was shocked. Here I was risking my own life for her daughter and bringing her back to her house when my own house was at least three kilometers away, and she just slammed the door on my face, not even bothering to thank me?! I felt like breaking the door and shouting at that woman and telling her that it was I who saved her precious daughter and was about to get killed myself. I was the one who brought her back to her house instead of leaving her there and running away to save my own life. But instead, I turned back and rode on my cycle at full speed. I wanted to be home where I was safe and didn’t have a raging lunatic after me.
As soon as I saw the silhouettes of my house, I started pedaling faster. I reached the door and began hammering on the door forgetting that there was a doorbell. My mother opened the door with an angry expression on her face.
“Oh God! It’s you. What took you so long? I was dying of worry. And don’t you know we have a doorbell and you have to ring it and not hammer on the door? Where are you going? Ananda? Wait, what’s the matter? Can you hear me?”
I rushed into my room and sat down on the bed. I filled up a glass of water and drowned it. My mother came into the room with a worried and angry expression on her face. Only mothers can achieve that kind of an expression.
“Are you going to tell me what the matter is? And where is my red chilly powder? I’m talking to you Ananda. Why do you have this lost expression on your face?” Then her face softened and she asked “Beta, is everything alright?”
I hugged her and began crying. She wrapped her arms around me, stroking my hair. She kept on asking what was wrong. But I couldn’t speak. I just cried.
Then after two glasses of water and a big slab of chocolate, I told my mother the entire episode. I told her about seeing a girl being harassed by a man, about trying to save her and jeopardizing my own life instead, about almost killing the lunatic and about leaving the girl at her home. She listened to it all with a shell shocked expression on her face. As soon as I finished telling my story, she grabbed the phone from my bed side and dialed my father’s number.
“Hello? Dev, come home immediately. Ananda has just told me about something awful. Come back home right now. Yes, she is fine but in a bad state. No, I don’t think she needs a doctor but you come home right away. Yes, ok.”
“Beta, don’t you worry. I’m there with you and you are absolutely safe. Papa’s coming home right away. Everything is ok. Don’t cry now. I’m there with you.”
It was these words that did the trick. I felt safe now. I knew my family was there with me to protect me in any circumstances. I knew nothing could happen to me within the walls of my own house. This was the last thought before everything blacked out.
I opened my eyes and saw blurred images hovering above my head. I blinked several times to clear my eyes and mind. My mother’s and father’s faces came into focus. My dad was stroking my hair and my mother was rubbing my left hand. I looked at the watch and realized that I had been asleep for three hours.
“Ananda? Are you feeling alright, beta?” my mom asked. “Do you want to eat anything? Apples, anything?”
“Don’t give her food right now. She just got up. Beta, how are you feeling now? Are you hurt? I have called the police and they will be arriving here in twenty minutes to take your statement.”
“Don’t worry, beta. We will take care of everything. Here, have a glass of water. Wash your face with this towel. You’ll feel better.”
I did as I was told. My mind was tired now. My whole body was tired. It was like I had just done some strenuous exercise. I lied down again and closed my eyes. Flashes from the evening’s event came before my eyes and I opened them immediately.
“Now, tell me the whole thing again, Ananda. Your mother told me what all you told her. But I want to hear it again from you so that I can tell it to the police.”
I recited the whole incident to my dad again.
After fifteen minutes my parents left my room to let me sleep. I wasn’t woken up when the police came. I wasn’t forced to tell the whole thing again.
Later, my mother came to check on me. On finding me awake she first pretended to be annoyed but then told me the whole conversation with the police men. My dad had told them the other girl’s address and even went with the inspector to see if everything was ok there. The policemen caught the drunk lunatic. My parents had told the inspector to contact them if he needed any other sort of help in this case.
Lying in bed, I wondered that this place would be so much better if there were more people like my parents here. They gave their number without hesitation and were really interested in helping in this case. Not only because of me, but because they were good people. They had both gone to the other girl’s house to check if everything was alright and if they needed anything. I was happy that there was still some humanity left in this world.
I closed my eyes and went off to a peaceful sleep.
