This nagging thought “Am I safe? Am I – really?” at the back
of my head each time I am out on the road, extra-cautious steps through the lonely
corridors of my apartment, the sense of relief as I close the doors behind me –phew!
And then I get to read about women being attacked by outsiders, in their own
homes. Now, a random noise near the door in the middle of the night gets me
thinking about escape routes, possible weapons to fight and my chances of
survival!
Having said that, none of this stops me from living my life in my own terms. Nevertheless, I am constantly on the lookout for that predator. And that is not the best state to be in.
This is easily the story of every girl/woman out there.
Which is that safe haven for a woman where she will not be constantly
worried about a potential assault, an attack on her dignity and her right to
freedom and possibly shamed by the society for rest of her life?
By the way, anyone who is even considering entertaining the
thought that all-of-this-only-because-she-is-unmarried,
please do me a favor – drink some extra water and swallow it right away!
Now, onto the part that we always revel in answering- WHY. What
is the trigger for these tragic episodes? Everything from her clothes to personality
to profession to friends to lifestyle to looks. For that matter, it could even
be the food she ate that day! But definitely not the molester or rapist or
anything remotely connected to him.
To anyone who talks to me on the lines of “Oh, the kind of clothes girls wear
these days – this is inevitable!” this is my stock reply:
1. Two year olds (or even younger) are raped
and killed in this country.
2. I get the worst leeching stares from men when
I go out wearing a saree, irrespective of the environment.
Now, let’s talk.
No level of punishment or outrage-in-social-media will help
cure this disease. Only when a woman is convinced that she cannot and should
not be blamed for acts that violate her world, can we hope to see a difference.
Let me just say this one last thing which to me is a case of blessing and curse in an uncomfortable marriage and end my rant: Not
all men think short clothes/alcohol justify sexual assault on women. Not
all women think there is zero justification for it.
