This post starts with 4 stories, all true, all connected because of an incident, one of them mine
Story A : Girl A is travelling by a cab. She is rushing to meet friends for dinner, she is late. She, finally reaches and while on the call consoling her friends that she will be there in 10 seconds, attempts to pay the driver. She hears him mumble. She asks him to repeat. She realises that he had asked her to join him, she realises in horror that he has unzipped his pants. She looks around to see if there is anyone around. She still needs her change back. She is shocked to reply or react and he zooms off.
Story B : Girl B is going to college by train. She is alone in the first class compartment in the middle of the afternoon, meaning she was the only one around. A school boy enters and sits across her when he has the entire compartment. He starts a conversation, she has her headphones on. He touches her, maybe to get her attention, she jolts. She is uncomfortable and moves to stand near the door. He follows, attempts to touch her again, she yells at him. He goes back and within her visual range and unzips his pants. She is shocked to respond and react. The train stops, she walks off.
Story C : Girl C is travelling in the rick. She is busy looking at her phone when suddenly the rickshaw stops, she look around for a reason for it to stop. She realised with a shock that he was stroking his penis in the middle of a road in broad daylight. She creates a huge hue and cry and manages to get the attention of a cop who intervenes only because she refuses to let the issue go. She walks off knowing that she did what was right.
Story D : Girl D, a 15 year old was walking home one evening. A man on a cycle, stopped and asked her for directions. While she was reading the address on a paper, he held her hand and she realised that he was stroking his penis with the other hand. She was shocked and pushed him and ran. She reached home and cried.
What do these stories have in common?
A man/a boy who couldn't keep it in his pants. And then they say we dress slutty or that women asked for it.
As I mentioned before, one of these stories is mine and having that happen to you is the worst feeling ever. Being reduced to a mere object. I thought I was the only one, that this was an isolated incident. Unfortunately, it isn't.
What makes these men so bold? How do we as women react to these situations? How do we as a society put a stop to these?
