Oh Bondage, Up Yours...

This blog post of mine isn't due till Friday but some incidents need to be recorded sooner than later. Eve-teasing, cat-calling, whatever name you call it by, reached a whole new dimension for my three friends and I on the auspicious day of Saraswati Puja. Manali, Preeti, Sreshtha* and I had just had a sumptuous lunch at a restaurant and were headed to Manali’s house for the very first time ever. That is when it all started.

Like any other bunch of young bubbly ladies we were giggling away, enjoying our first Toto ride. Manali and Preeti looked gorgeous in their beautiful saris and half sleeved blouses. Sreshtha and I wore lovely leggings and kurti which I personally teamed up with a hideous hoodie that I wear pretty much everywhere. All of a sudden we noticed a bike with three helmet-less riders screaming out something to us! At first I thought maybe they were someone Manali knew but then we realized something was wrong when the foremost rider started passing obscene remarks at all of us. Loudly he discussed with his co riders about how “delicious” we looked! Our stern faces only heated up their enthusiasm till I called out, “12Y 8059”** loud and clear. For a moment their expressions flickered and they went past us and we thought they won’t bother us again.

Then at a turning we saw them waiting on their bike. They jeered at us as our vehicle passed them and we thought it was over. And then, out of the blue, they returned, more zealous than before. Two bikes, not one; six men, not three. They made insulting remarks and casually discussed loudly among themselves how they intended to share four trophies among the six of them! Manali knew that if they persisted they’ll get beaten up by the people in her locality, which was just another couple of minutes away. But I was there for the first time and ignorance wasn't bliss! I didn't know how long this would continue and how long they would keep their dirty paws to themselves! It seemed as if our driver had deliberately slowed down our vehicle as he sat their unperturbed and mum. Finally, Manali called up her mother. Seeing her on the phone, our pursuers left.

I wasn't alone, my friends were with me. Our clothes were anything but “provoking”.  Yet, we had to go through this turmoil which temporarily spoiled our mood. The humiliation and feeling of helplessness was so strong that I could feel my nose starting to ache as drops of anger tried to make its way out of my eyes. But I didn't cry- none of us did. We weren't going to let these perverts ruin our evening. What remained was the feeling that we should do something about these future rapists, the question was what.

*The names of my friends have been changed.
**This is the actual license plate number of our pursuers