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If you were to have met me a couple of days back on the Intercity Express and were to surmise from the smug expression on my face that I was content at a job well done, you would not have been far from the truth. The next question that begs an answer would then arise: What exactly had I been up to, prior to boarding said train, to give me that air of euphoria, not to mention the accompanying grin.
I punched him. Yessir I did. I did not think of the consequences. I just balled my fist and let him have it between his shoulder blades squarely. Unfortunately it hadn’t been his nose, but his retreating back my fist connected with. What I really would have loved to do of course was scrrrrratch and leave my mark. Sigh, but one has to take these things philosophically and be content with what one could manage under the circumstances, especially at such short notice. Besides I keep very short nails.
I know at this point you are well and truly baffled. You don’t associate me with violence, certainly not intentional aggression or intent to harm. I may inadvertently biff people on their heads if they aren’t careful about where their head is when a coconut nestles in my palm. But, being willfully violent is definitely not my cup of tea. Someone who wouldn’t say ‘boo’ to a goose is how you can describe me.
Even though I might not say ‘boo’ to a goose, there are a lot of people whom I want boo-ed out of existence in addition to being punched and scratched. The perverts who go by the innocuous name of eve-teasers (teasers, my foot!) and their ilk, who live under the illusion that any woman on the street is his very own to grope and paw and feel up as he wishes, unquestionably makes me wistful about brutal ways of dealing with them.
There I was at the Ernakulam South railway station with the L & M (the Lord and Master for the benefit of newbies to my page) waiting for the Intercity Express, which train the concerned authorities informed us the general public who wished to board it, via the shining red lights of the display board, would arrive on Platform 2 in due course. The train we were told was already running late by about half an hour.
The waiting public on Platform 2 which represented a cross section of the population were definitely a bored lot on that Sunday afternoon. Listless, one could describe them as, except for the hyperactive kids who kept their parents on their toes with demands for Frooti and Lays and such items of interest to them which pattern I scrupulously followed with the L & M, in turn keeping him on his toes and thus a fitter man.
The mood on the platform lifted considerably when the announcer after many false starts of ‘aane ki sambhaavna hai’ (is expected to arrive) finally said with surety that the train had been sighted and was even now thundering towards the platform. As an afterthought the announcer added (one could almost hear the person yawn)….to PLatform 1.
There was an immediate upheaval, and a mad scramble towards the connecting bridge. The entire population on Platform 2 had now to shift base to Platform 1 with bag, baggage, kids and elderly parents in tow. People could be heard cursing, mildly of course, since this being a common occurrence, they weren’t too surprised. But can one really blame the authorities??! How would the poor things inside their offices know which platform was free unless and until they sighted the train on the horizon?? One should be thankful that they did make the announcement rather than let the travelers figure things out for themselves.
Anyways, a sea of individuals now moved as one with but a single thought of boarding the Intercity Express which could be heard and also be seen moving on to the Platform 1. Just managing to reach the right platform, the L & M and I stood on the outskirts of the throng watching the coaches move past. We had reserved our seats unlike many others who had to find their seats as soon as the train came to a halt.
There was a slow trickle of travelers between us and the throng waiting to board the Intercity Express, moving in the opposite side, towards the entrance, probably those that had alighted from some other train. The line was moving slowly due to the rush. A man stood beside me waiting for the ones ahead to move on. Half my mind was on the coaches and the other on the men moving to and fro in front of me. In India, especially in nammude swantham (our own) Kerala, a woman HAS to be aware of the men (age no bar) in crowds AT ALL TIMES. Period. This man paused next to me as if looking at the train and the next instant before you could blink an eye deliberately and coolly pressed his left arm against my breast and walked ahead nonchalantly.
I lunged forward in an instinctive reaction to catch hold of his arm, my imaginary talons out to scratch. My attempt to catch hold of his shirt failed as my hand slipped on his polyester shirt. Frustrated by my failed attempt, I recovered instantly to ball my fist and bring it down with force on his retreating back. Thuddd.
The man went Ohhhh and turned around in a self righteousness manner. The modus operandi in these occasions is to act the injured party. This is a crowd sister (they have the temerity to call you sister!), sometimes people brush against each other. If you don’t like it, stay at home, they go. If ever there is an Oscar to be won, these creeps will win it hands down for the portrayal of the wronged man enacted with such conviction. This creep was no different. He turned with an injured look to find me glaring at him and was in all probability about to get into his spiel.
‘Don’t even try telling me it was accidental’ I cautioned him, my eyebrows knit to their best.
The man opened his mouth and then clamped it shut, swallowing whatever he was about to say for he had seen the more than six feet tall man standing next to me. For a minute I was glad of the L & M’s presence because in Malluland, the general public is notorious for siding with the perpetrator rather than the victim. They smile knowingly and leer among themselves making the victim feel worse for objecting publicly to harassment.
The thud and my terse words all happened in the shortest time that even as the L & M bent to keep the bags he had in both his hands on the ground, the man had disappeared mingling with the crowd. Having no time to lose, we turned and ran to find our coach and seats, with the L & M leading the way with his long legs while I followed at a pace more suited to my shorter ones that carried a huge frame.
My eyebrows were still knit and feelings of ‘how dare he??’ were boiling inside me. Suddenly the realization hit me. I had hit him. I had punched the man who misbehaved with me. Maybe not painfully, but I had retaliated enough for him to be jolted out of his complacency. He would remember me for some time at least.
The thought made me laugh out without care for my surroundings. When the L & M turned around to look for me, he found me grinning from ear to ear. I am sure at that time he was totally confused. First he hears a thud, finds me bristling at a man and then a little later finds me laughing to myself. It is only when we were ensconced in our seats and the train was on its way that I was able to fill him in on the details.
Yeah, I am certainly not one to say boo to a goose. Why should I scare the poor innocent creature anyways?? But I also believe that perverts who cannot respect the sanctity of a human body should be horsewhipped. I believe and passionately so, that no one, absolutely no one has the right to touch another (not even in marriage) without that person’s permission. Sadly, you find fellow perverts standing up for each other here rather than for the one harassed. Crowded buses, trains, temple grounds, platforms, movie halls etc are fertile playground for this depraved scum to grope women for cheap thrills. And the Stupid Society consisting of you and me to which everyone bows in servility asks its daughters to be careful rather than order its sons to keep their hands to themselves.
Ahhh, in case you were wondering and for those who do not know me, I am on the wrong side of fifty and on the particular day this happened was dressed in a salwar-kameez with the all-important dupatta in place, not that it should make any difference to anyone at all what another wears. So much for the ‘she asked for it by her way of dressing’ theory of the Moralist Morons!!
Updated to add:
It’s Time To Speak Up, To Act! from momofrs
Shail,it is a good thing that you could give back
perverts will stop if only more people would whack
which we don’t, more often because of the courage we lack
or maybe because of the worry of generating a flak.
These guys should be castrated…….with a blunt knife.
Me: I agree with you wholeheartedly Govind.
Ra! Ra!!! Sistah! You Go! I do that every time I can – but then I am kinda bloodthirsty and it shows – so guys give me a wide berth Sigh!! Land one on the nose for me next time dahlin!
Me: I am sure my reaction came as a surprise to him. Will sure try and oblige you with a punch on the nose if there is a next time Ritu! 😉
You hit him, that’s actually nice. Sure had the l&m not been with you it would have been an entirely different story after that… What’s interesting is that over here, it’s the victim who mostly has to bear the brunt of the incident. from the perpetrator as well as the bystanding crowd.. People will get lynched over issues like who supports whom or believes in whom, or hails from where.. but a wrong doer can walk awya merrily
Me: Hmm… some places have better records and come to the aide of the victim. But not here. If a girl/woman makes a fuss the bystanders (mostly) either pretend not to notice, or snigger knowingly, or say ‘Let it go, let it go…’ (Its such a small thing na!). When a few years back a man sidled up to me and whispered obscenity in passing and I objected strongly and vociferously, he coolly walked to a nearby shop and stood there along with a couple of other morons in the shop, sniggering. “What’s there to create such a ruckus??’ was their attitude. “Cool down sister and go home” was what they said to me.
Congratulations on your brave act!!!!!
Loved the article especially the below lines:
Stupid Society consisting of you and me to which everyone bows in servility asks its daughters to be careful rather than order its sons to keep their hands to themselves.
Me: Welcome to ‘Shail’s Nest’ Meera! 🙂 Well, I feel (and have always felt right from my childhood days) that ‘they’ the powers that be, have it all wrong. Any fool with half an ounce of intelligence should be able to see that telling one half of the population to be careful and letting the other half run wild is NEVER going to solve anything.
Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment! 🙂
Way to go!! People like this deserve punches and more! It is so disgusting, isn’t it, that people think they can get away with it. As you said, age, looks, clothes – nothing matters.
Me: Thank you Smitha. Of course a punch is not enough. I would suggest drastic methods of punishment for people of this sort. I have absolutely no pity for them. When a human being cannot respect another, he does NOT deserve it either.
Atta Gurl! Am proud of you! If only more of us acted this way..loved it!!
Next time, ask him to wait, then take his pic and put it up on the internet. I’d love to do that!
Me: I know some years back I would have been hesitant to act this way. First of all one had been younger and brought up to feel ashamed of the act of such no-good scum, as if it all was somehow one’s fault. One was also afraid to draw attention to oneself because of this and also due to the non-co-operative attitude of the bystanders. Over the years I have taught myself NOT to be ashamed because I am in no way responsible for what happens. The act is his and the dirty mind also belongs to him and HE is the one who should be ashamed and the one who is to be blamed. I wish every family teaches its daughters this fact.
I know, I remembered Bank Noise and the thought of taking a pic did cross my mind. But there was no time to fish my mobile out of the bag and take a pic! 😦
You go gurl!!! Great job. Well things like this happen in Singapore too although maybe not as bad. I hit back too. The last incident was about 20 years ago. I beat him up and literally dragged him to a nearby police post. He was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment and had 6 strokes of the cane. That is certainly one “trophy” he did not expect 😛
Me: I am so thrilled to hear about the ‘cane’ treatment. That’s needed here too. Most of them think they have done something heroic by groping women and their friends think he is ‘lucky’!! Such a starved and depraved society! A few of the juiciest from a cane may just help bring them back to terra firma.
I agree with Govind. They should be castrated. Tiger Woods is going for sex-rehab.[ http://www.hollyscoop.com/tiger-woods/confirmed-tiger-in-sex-rehab_22711.aspx ], but those amongst the men on Indian streets who have problems with self control, castration would be of greater help.
Me: Yes, they should be. If they have a problem with control it is for them to go get themselves treated and if the don’t want that they can lock themselves in. I fail to understand what is so ‘civilized’ about a society that fails to exercise suitable control over one half of the population, but expects the other half to take protective measures and be on the defensive at all times. Just a rich and old heritage does not make a society ‘civilized’! The people who constitute that society must act in a civilized manner and earn that name for themselves.
And of course, Proud of you!! As usual it didn’t matter that you were in a salwar kurta and it didn’t matter that you aren’t a teenager 😦
Me: Thanks IHM. Like I wrote in a comment above, a couple of decades back my reaction would have been to avoid a scene because oit was ingrained that ‘it was somehow my fault’. I am damned if any one is going to make me feel that now! I wish parents would stop making girls feel responsible for the actions of the perpetrators.
You should have kicked him in the balls!
Me: A very good suggestion. That would have cured him effectively from the effects of the surge of hormones supposedly making him what he is.
GOOD FOR YOU !!! I’ve been there too…not Kerala but in a similar situation on crowded public buses in Delhi,shouting at assorted perverts who pretended they didn’t know what the fuss was about! It takes some guts to do this. Guts because you know that should things turn uglier,in all probability no one will help you.Sad, but very true ,all over India.
Me: Thanks MRC. I felt pretty pleased with myself that I could react instantly and at least punch him. Delhi buses I have heard are pretty bad. Its a shame how a victim cannot expect any help but has in all probability end up facing an ugly situation if she protests!
I am glad that you did it!!! How many women go ahead and do it? As far as I know, very few.
Last week, I was returning from Palakkad to Bangalore in bus. It was a night journey and I was travelling alone. After all the lights were switched off, I also went to sleep. Suddenly, I felt a HAND on my thighs!!!!!!!! I woke up with a start and looked at the man next to me. He was sleeping and SNORING!!! For a moment, I thought what it was because I was extremely sleepy. I was awake from last 48 hours.
Still to be more careful, I drew the curtains and pulled my seat. I was not feeling right about that SNORE! And, I was right. The moment I drew the curtains and there was enough light in the bus, Creep got up and immediately tells me “could you please close the curtains. I need to sleep.” That’s it!! I knew that it was his hand only on my thigh.
I decided not to sleep and be careful. I started playing games and listening to music on my iPod. However, I was still very sleepy. I thought, I will just bend my head low for a minute or so. I did that. I was not sleeping but. I was perfectly aware of my surroundings. I knew every movement around me.
That creepy guy moved a bit and slowly moved his hand towards me and this time I caught him at the right time.
Oh man!!! You should have seen his face then. He was like as if he is the symbol of innocence and purity on the mother earth. I twisted his arm and told him “stay away”. He quickly turned his back towards me and went back to ‘sleep’. However, by now, all my sleep gone. I was in the war mode now.
I knew it somehow that he will not give up. It was 2 o’clock in the night. Everybody was sleeping the bus. It was pretty dark too. It was a perfect scenario for creepy buggers like him.
And I was right. He tried again touching me after an hour when he thought I was sleeping!!!!!!!!!!!
This time I was more than prepared. I took my bag and hit him on his face – HARD!
I saw some people around me getting up because of the noise that the ‘victim’ guy was making.
As usual, nobody paid much attention. It doesn’t take an Einstein to figure what was happening there. Still, everybody around us were mere spectator. They were giving ME a glance with a look of “why do you have to travel alone in the night and it’s your fault”.
Well!!!! I did hurt that guy because he had a mark on his face by now. He moved himself to the extreme end of his seat and I put my other big bag between us knowing pretty well that it won’t give him much space to sit.
Nobody said anything and went back to sleep. This guy went back to ‘sleep’. He was trying not to look at me because this time I turned and I sat facing him.
Of course, the journey ended like this only. Not that I expected any help from people but here nobody bothers. Whatever was happening around them was just a nuisance because we were disturbing their sleep.
Since the bus was full, there was no way that creepy bugger would have moved.
Me: Chandrika, welcome to Shail’s Nest. I am so glad that you wrote about your experience here. I really appreciate your courage, really you are one brave girl! It is outrageous that none came to your help. Makes me really sad to note how none of the fellow passengers came forward at least to exchange seats with you. People really don’t care and when it happens to them is the only time they are going to understand. And you are so right about those around giving the victim glances that say what a nuisance she is by protesting or travelling without an escort. I am so glad to read you left a mark on his face. Creep, he deserved much more than that of course!
Way to go, Shail! This is in fact the only way this blockheads will actually get the message. The whole “close your eyes and pretend it never happened” mentality has to change, especially in a society which conveniently accepts ‘mounam’ as ‘sammatham’.
Me: You are right, they take silence for acquiescence! Besides it makes it worse that these type of imbecile bozos have it ingrained in their useless block-heads that women enjoy such attention secretly. If one could wash the inside of their heads with a little carbolic soap things might be better.
APPLAUSE! 🙂 You are such a bravo. I should take inspiration, cos usually my brain starts working a good 5 minutes after any such incident. Till then the perpetrator is nowhere in sight and I am left fuming! 😦
Me: So finally the G de-lurks and leaves a comment, eh?? Thank you and welcome to Shail’s Nest. I have been there too, reacting too late and left fuming. But nowadays I am a bit quicker. 😉
You are brave!! Hats off to you..
Me: Thank you Arun. Actually I reacted quickly in my anger.
Very brave of you. You did the right thing. Perverts need whipping as you said, as well as deportation from the sane society. You have narrated the incident very well….Cheers!!!
Me: Thanks Unnichetta. If it would deter them I would definitely like to see them whipped for violating the sanctity of another’s body.
Congratulations Shail for the brave act! Actually those perverts deserve more severe punishments than this. But still, what you did is great.
Me: Thanks Basanta. Yes, more severe deterrents are needed …….and education and awareness on respecting the other sex and not violating the sanctity of their body in this manner.
wow: I salute you!..you did it..I am so happy,because this happens all to often and this type of men need it everytime they do something like this..sometimes our reaction time is too long and they slip away..but hats off to you,..doing the right thing at right time is so important.
Me: I know Renu, sometimes we react too late. That’s why I started laughing. The thought that I could give him one whack on his back made me extremely happy!
Good thing you punched him Shaila. It is a big disease and a psychological disorder too. Time people recognised it as such and start treating the loonies or at least put them behind bars for a few days.
Me: Yeah Vivek, put the loonies behind bars if its not a disease but harassment and in the padded cell for treatment if its a disease/psychological disorder and let us be free of this menace! 🙂
I salute you!
nd sad to note that perverts continue to roam around in Kerala.. nd yes.. there is none to help the victim.. not even those from the female section..
Me: Thanks Happy Kitten. Yes, none really bother and thats what emboldens these perverts to an extent!
Ha ha, I had fun reading the comments Shail, as much as your post I should say 🙂
Me: But its no fun when it happens Roopa. But I did have my share of satisfaction hitting the blighter!
I am so happy to read this post of yours, Shail! You are a brave girl. I keep my handbag in front of me even now when I go to crowded places here, in Chennai. Age is no bar for these dirty perverts. All these years I thought only Chennai is like this.
When I was working, while going by the crowded buses, I used to have a big sized safety pin and whoever pushed me from behind with a bad movement, I used to open the pin and just prick the man with my full strength. I had experienced that no one came to our help if we shouted for help. ‘This is common, just ignore’ would have been the advice.
What you did was the right thing. Good girl!
Me: Makes me sick and tired of the dfensive tactics we have to use Sandhya. This world belongs as much to us as to men. First of all we are not allowed to go here or there, do this or that…. just because we belong to the female gender. And then even when we use the public places where we can walk free, the perverts try their own tricks! I have done the safety pin trick during my student days while at a movie hall, piercing the hand of a man who felt the ticket he purchased entitled him to let his hand wander on to those sitting in the seat next to his too! Creep!
I hate to hear the ‘ignore’ advice and if it is any man advising I bristle more!
Thanks Sandhya!
Shail, you have done three wonderful things. First, teaching the man the right lesson who will keep his hands in his own pockets for times to come to avoid touching a lady even accidentally. The second wonderful thing that u have done is to have shared it here so that others also take some inspiration from this incident and target the nose of the perpetrator rather than the back or the chest. And lastly you have written this piece excellently well.
Me: Thanks Balvinder. I admit I was queasy about writing about my experience. You see how it is, it is years of ingrained teachings pulling you back and in spite of knowing otherwise, making you feel as if you are somehow at fault. I reminded myself I was not at fault and made myself write the post. I am glad I did. 🙂
Shail, I am so proud of you! Salute.
Oh! now I want to hear the Malayalam dialogues of the incident.
I slapped a guy couple of years older and bigger when I was a puny little teenager for some stupid comments he passed at a friend and me. I don’t know if I have the same guts today. But reading this, I am so happy.
These creeps deserve much more than this. #$%@@#
Me: I certainly didn’t have the courage (not to mention the feeling of ‘I am somehow at fault’ which was THE reaction of the elders around you, their impotent anger against the perpetrators wrongly turned towards the victim!!) when I was a teenager Soli and compensated by trying to be the ‘ideal’ ‘good’ girl in every way ….not that it helped me in any manner to protect me from such perverts. Now anyone touches me in the wrong way I lunge for his hand or punch him like I did. And I am damned if I am going to feel ashamed in any way for the workings of HIS dirty mind.
Sraboney is right.
Well done, Shail!! Kudos!! And may there be many more women like you!! Infact just last week, we were doing our grocery shopping, when a bulky man poked his finger on me TWICE, and both seemingly accidental. I ofcourse, didn’t have the guts that you did, but reading your post made me think..maybe I should have raised a hue!!!
Me: Thanks. You know Pal, when you kick up a fuss these people act oh-so-innocent and make it look like we are over reacting which deters a lot of us from reacting. I think we should kick up a fuss and let those around know, not that we can expect help though. Ohh well, I have avoided making a scene when I was younger too. But since the last 10-15 years, I am damned if anyone is going to get away without at least some verbal fisticuffs from me! These perverts are definitely NOT going to make me feel ashamed of being a woman!
Hats off,Shail! You’re my role model!
I hope many more women have the guts to punch,not just on the backs of those despos, but punch them right down there,on their ‘reproductive devices’.
Reading your post reminded me of my school/college days when I used to invariably have my elbows positioned to give those creeps a sharp poke while travelling in a bus.
Loved the last para!
Me: Ohh thanks Deeps. You know I was such a ‘paavam’ that I preferred walking to using the city bus. I dreaded getting on it and so I walked however long the distance. Hmm… perhaps that had been the secret of my slim figure! 😉
Elbows positioned or holding bags ready like Sandhya says, we always have to be on the defensive!! That angers me a lot. I mean this world belongs to me too!!
Yeah, I know THAT is exactly where they have to be kicked!
Crowd is more orderly in Mumbai but incidents of these sorts do keep on happening. It’s worse in local trains when a woman may enter a men’s coach. There are ladies coaches though and we do have Ladies Special trains running. Also, in Mumbai, in such cases the public always side with the victims. But I have seen the worst when I was travelling in an unreserved compartment of an express train. But that’s too prurient an experience to describe here.
Me: It is good to notice that the public sides with the victims in Mumbai. I did write a post in the difference I personally felt while travelling in Baroda that people there don’t stare like they do here, neither do they push, shove and try to touch you while you move in a crowd. Everyone is busy in their own work and if they look at you its in a straightforward manner meeting your eye, not the sly leer. Besides, the sort of dress you wear does not get you extra attention in such places, but anything other than a sari or salwar-kameez (those gets stares too) gets you extra pop-eyed stares over here.
Wudnt have expected anything less from you shail!! 🙂 🙂
Me: Lol Arch. Is that so now?? 😉
Bravo Shailji!! Reminds me of one of the times I did the same slightly differently(got my fist into the solar plexis) and got a “what the hell do you think you are doing?” I stood and asked back “what did YOU think you were doing?”.
Me: Haha Rashmi, that’s good! 🙂 Should I say here is one more similarity between us! 😉
BRAVO!!! BRAVO! loved reading this …of how you punched him…it feels good doesn’t it?Like you have reclaimed a part of yourself that some pervert was trying to take away?
I know…did it and felt WONDERFUL! and bloodthirsty for quite sometime after that
but this is what I Loved the most!
The thought made me laugh out without care for my surroundings. When the L & M turned around to look for me, he found me grinning from ear to ear.
LOVED it! that smile , that grin ,that laugh is what they try to take away from so many of us….trying to make us believe that it was our fault…each and every time…..and you!you laughed and you smiled…
((((((((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))))))))))much love for a woman I admire:)
Me: ‘Like you reclaimed a part of yourself that some pervert was trying to take away?” Exactly Indy! How dare he any way!! I agree with you that laughter within is what they want to take away from so many of us, that innocent joy in living. HOW DARE THEY!!!??!!! It is NOT our fault. Every girl has to be taught that by the father and mother. The man who harasses you is a pervert and has a sick mind and his sickness is not because of you. It is in spite of you. Thank you Indy and ((((((((((hugs))))))))))) to you too. 🙂
I read Chandrika”s comment and felt so proud of her..if we women try to dare, these perverts will loose all their bearings in no time.
Me: I agree Renu. She acted bravely and more of us should do that.
Oh Gosh!!!
Way to go Ma’am.
That was an excellent retaliation.
Am sure your hubby must be proud of you 🙂
I know, I am!!
We need more people like you.
Me: Thanks Momofrs. Is this your frist comment?? If so welcome to Shail’s Nest. I don’t think the L & M had time to react! 😉 😛 He was heard muttering in regret that there had been no time to go after the sicko 😛
“I punched him” is a job very well done.. requires a great amount of courage to take this action, and also to inspire others to do it. Hats off to you, Ma’m… need more women like you to put an end to this menace.
Me: Thank you. 🙂 My retaliation was instinctive. But I admit that I am more ready to give back than I had been in my younger days when the fear of creating a scene and being held responsible for the fiasco existed in the sub-conscious.Over time I have learnt to fight that and no one is going to make me feel ashamed for existing. I do wish more of us would react rather than keep quiet.
Reminds me of the time when my friend (we were 16) hauled her shoe at the guy who did something like this and sped away on a moped. She lost her shoe – but that guy was scared out of his wits and hit in the face.
Bravo Shail! Great job. I think men like these should be skinned alive.
Me: Hahaha… I’d have liked to see that! At 16 I was not as brave 😦 But then I lived at Mangalore at the time and don’t remember a single incident of sexual harassment happening to me! Yes, the same place where girls were bashed up by thugs quite recently. But coming to my own state was a different experience even back then. Sigh.
Now skinning alive is another good option on how to treat such perverts!
“Now skinning alive is another good option on how to treat such perverts!”
Thats not as painful as what I have in mind..1. Pull their nails out and skin them just so much so they cant die 2. then put some salt on them. 3. Get out the broom stick 4. Get a Dog to Pee on it. 5. Get the girl who was harassed to use that broom on the person 6. Get a colony of red ants and let them feast on him. 7. Get his Parents to watch this happen.
Ok, I will stop before I let my Evil Twin completely out.
I so like your Evil Twin Rashmi! 🙂
Clap Clap Clap! Oh, I love you for this! When I was younger and eve teasing was a way of life, my mother had taught me to fear these guys and run away without creating a scene. God! it still leaves me frustated and angry when I think about it. I am ready to give them punches myself if I meet them now!
Me: Yes, that’s what we were all taught, to make ourselves unobtrusive. But now its different for me. BTW, the harassment is still a way of life here and like you notice, age is no bar. 😦
Thanks awfully for the claps of depreciation SS 🙂
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Awesome Shail! I am so happy u did this 🙂
Some days back, I gave one to a man who derived a lot of pleasure caressing my bk in a mela and the worst thing ws that the police man ws standing aaramse and told me ‘Ur hubby is anyways chasing him’ and when my husband did catch hold of him, he let the man go saying he ws drunk and ws nt in his senses! What rubbish!
U r rt .. the poor goose is so innocent .. these r the ppl we hv got to punish 🙂
Me: Thanks Swaram! I can’t believe the cheek of the policeman who said that! Whose job is it any way??!! Acting innocent and acting too drunk are all their well rehearsed modus operandi! Being drunk does not give him any excuse to put his hands where they do not belong!
Hi Shail,
This isn’t my first comment on your blog. I’ve commented plenty of times before, with my name.
Nowadays, I comment with my blog id 😀
Me: Ohhh! And what is your name??!!!
Shail, you did the very right thing. You should have thumped him twice. This is far too common in India. Proud of you! Dr Yadu Singh/Sydney/Australia
Thank you Dr.Yadu. I know, I wish I could have given him one more, but he disappeared and I had to rush to catch the train. BTW welcome to Shail’s Nest.
I am still catching up on the various things you have written. Good for you, for whacking him! They are always too sly and slippery aren’t they?! Jerks. May be, we should make/buy pepper spray and hit them in the eyes with it. That will teach them!
@Agnija Bharathi,
As recently as last week I whacked a fellow with my handbag for patting my bottom while walking past. Can you believe that?? We were just getting out of the movie hall. Of course the fellow quietly slipped away instead of taking it up with me which shows what his intentions were.
One can’t relax for a single moment in God’s Own Country with its share of Devils! 😦
Way to go Sistah! Lovely. Its just the kind of thing I end up doing. My sons normally accompany me everywhere just to ensure that I dont kill half the male population. They throw up barricades so that I dont murder…. Sigh!
Aunty! I bow to you for what you did and this is how every girl, woman should react to such incidents. Feeling sorry for ourselves, crying won’t help us. It is this attitude to retaliate will teach these kind of men a lesson and I’m sure they will think twice before doing the same thing to other girls. So, am much we are standing up for ourselves, we (though in a remote way) saving other girls out there . This happened to me when i was in 11th std. I had had the habit of studying on my terrace in the evening and in nights so that i don’t feel sleepy in the comfort of my room. This next door neighbor (father of a 10 year old child) used to talk to me along with his wife once in a while from his terrace. I’m not much of a talker, so i used to politely answer their questions and get back to my studies. One night when i was studying, he comes on to his terrace and tells me that he wants to talk to me. Somehow from his tone, I could sense that he was going to say something bad, so i ran downstairs and stopped going to terrace for a few weeks. Then he started befriending my parents and invited us to his home for Diwali. I made an excuse and skipped the offer but my parents visited them. So, the next day morning around 6 AM (i thought because my parents are in the picture, he may not behave like this), after many days, i went up again and started to study. Then he comes on to the terrace and he throws a paper ball at me. I started trembling with anger more than anything and may be because i was too young i did not want to know what is in that letter with the fear that he might have written something terribly bad which would disturb me. I kept quite that moment, but the same night, when he was back on terrace, i called him closer and i said in telugu which i’m going to translate to english (How dare you do that ? Do you think I’m a calm girl who will cry or who will listen to you in fear, I’ll call your wife and will make a big scene if you don’t stop bothering me, don’t you ever dare to look at me or talk to me or my parents. Now, don’t make a face as if you are surprised why i’m questioning you, you very well know what i’m talking about, so behave yourself and Get Lost). That is it, after that, I was never bothered by him again! I don’t know if i should have created a bigger scene by talking to his wife and involving my parents, but I have always wanted to stand up for myself (I have 3 older cousin brothers living next door and a a younger brother) unless a situation demands help from other people. I thought about this incident later and said to myself “I’m a brave girl, but what about other girls who really get scared and blame themselves”, so i made it a point to share this story with my peers (school friends, neighbors kids) so that they might know how to handle such men! We must talk to younger girls about such people and prepare them to handle such incidents without fear. I feel parents of the girls should freely talk to girls about how to retaliate if someone misbehaves with them!
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Kudos to you !!
I never know why, but the blame always goes to the women for another’s actions, not molding their daughters to societal standards..etc. It’s pathetic. I’m sure the gossipers will be whispering and gossiping that a women hitting a man is “not proper, disrespectful” etc etc.
By the way, I can recall two similar incidents when I was in Kerala. These two incidents happened 7 years ago when I was 19. One was I was going to visit a Protestant Church with my one cousin when all of a sudden I was smacked in the back of the head by some random stranger. Confused I looked at my cousin who saw it all and just nodded. Didn’t know how to react so, just shrugged it off. Second was when I went to Veegaland and these you morons were oggling at me because I was wearing a mid-cut shirt so my chest was kind of visible (breasts weren’t showing or anything) and taunting me, asking me to give my phone number so we can “meet”. I just walked away. Next time it happens though, I’ll take what you did and make sure their crotch is bruised up ;). To hell what the others say !