Chapter 1

Last few weeks had been really hectic. The project delivery had made it so. And as its deadline was fast approaching, the workload had increased quite significantly. Coming early in the morning and leaving late in the evening became quite common now. And the same seemed to be happening today. So, while gauging the total time required to finish my work, by keeping my one eye on the gargantuan amount of work I was left with and the other on the time that was ticking on my wrist-watch, I wasn't surprised to figure out that today as well, just like last few days, I would need to stretch for a few more hours. Today, I could hardly see myself returning back home before 8 pm.

However, my commitment towards work and self-belief, the qualities that have had been standing quite resolutely behind me from a long time, had dared to challenge time once again. Just like every other day, even today as well, I was counting on them. Today as well, they had to ensure that I wouldn't get worn out and distracted. Even today, they had to make me feel confident enough to finish my work well before 8 pm and catch the last office bus. And guess what! They didn't disappoint me at all. I was as determined as I was before.

While running my fingers all over the keyboard, I turned my swollen eyes towards my wrist-watch for a second. The hour hand had already crossed 7, whereas the minute hand was on the verge of bumping into 15. Oh shit! I was still left with a sufficient amount of work to be done and a few important emails to be sent. Now, finishing my work before 8 pm was looking far-fetched and nothing less than a miracle. But, miracles do happen and for a reason, right!

At 7:16 pm, I thought it would be wise to call my beloved mother and inform her that I would be catching the last office bus and might get late for the dinner. I didn't want her to wait for me. In fact, why should she suffer and ache in pain because of me? She had been through a lot already while raising me by herself. (Even today, the poignant reminiscences of those days and the demise of my father when I was just 8 were still quite fresh and lingering in my mind.) To be honest, she didn't deserve this kind of unintended treatment from me and didn't need to drown under the repercussions of my hectic life. Instead, she could have her dinner quickly, take her medicines and sleep peacefully. A true gesture of showing one's love, affection and a caring thought of a diligent daughter for her mother, I would say!

With the same gust of feeling, I unzipped my pink-coloured purse and took out my mobile to call her. She picked my call in no time as if she was there sitting beside her cell phone all the time and expecting a call from me at any moment. I requested her, "Mom, please have your dinner, and don't wait for me." She was defiant not to eat without me, though every word of her disapproval was eliciting her true love for me. But, I had to convince her. I had to move heaven and earth to get her agreed on my terms. Ah, finally she got convinced. A sigh of relief for me!

Now, I had to get back to work, finish the leftovers of my work and send a few important emails. Finally, at 7: 52 pm (to be precise), I was done with everything. A moment of joy and a sense of accomplishment for me, I would say! But, I didn't have the time even to get complacent. It was a race against time to catch the last bus in next 7 minutes. I left my cubicle in no time to catch it. But before doing that, I made sure I had shut down my computer, picked my favourite red color mini water bottle, and got everything, including my mobile phone, inside my purse. As I told you earlier, miracles do happen. And today, I experienced one of such.

Chapter 2


It was windy outside. I was barely able to walk properly. And my unkempt hairs, wobbling from one corner to the other, were adding insult to injury. I had to knot them up. And in fact, I did, while standing up in the bus queue. Today, besides me, there were 12 guys. But no girl or lady! Strange! Wasn't it? Anyway, I didn't have the energy to ponder over such silly thing at that time. And as fortunate as it may sound, I didn't have to wait and stand up in the queue for more than 2 minutes. The bus came right on time. However, if you ask me the thing that stood out the most today, I would say - I didn't have to struggle a lot to catch the window seat of the bus.

I heard a roaring of the bus engine when I leaned my head onto the iron strips of the window and saw the bus heading towards its 1st stop. It had 10 stops in total and each stop would take at least 6 mins. And considering the fact that its last stop was exactly a few blocks away from my dilapidated house situated in a society built in a very secluded area, I had nearly an hour to relax and sleep. And as soon as the bus began to move, I started feeling the warmth of the breeze that was running around and coming through the open window. It never occurred to me when I fell asleep. It was a sleep that made me feel as if I, as a baby, was taking a nap on my mom's shoulder!

The clock ticked to 9:15 pm when the bus conductor came and woke me up (Holly shit! I slept for more than an hour). He said, "Ma'am, we have reached to your stop." , and requested, "Could you please get down here?" That was so generous of him! I hadn't told him my stop before getting on the bus. Maybe, we got acquainted too enough in last few days, and the same might have led him to remember my stop; or wait, was that the last stop? Yes, it was. But still, out of courtesy or whatever you want to call it, I wished him 'Good night' before getting down the bus.

Chapter 3
The night was still too dark, even though the breeze got less severe now. None my neighbors were strolling around the corners of the road. Also, no rickshaw I could see till the far end of the road. All of this had scared me a little bit. I fastened my dupatta around my head, held my purse tight within my crossed-hands and commenced my walk of 15 mins towards my house. Then, out of nowhere, a bike with two sturdy men passed by me and blew a stentorian horn. I wasn't able to figure out what had just happened and where that bike came from!

The bike went ahead for a short distance, but the next thing that I saw made my legs trembled in fear. I saw them turning their bike back. They had those smirks on their faces. I could smell a rat out there!

They came close to me and started making some lewd signs with their fingers. Their mouth was full of cuss words. And as soon as the guy sitting up front on the bike slowed it's speed a little bit, the other rascal got off the bike immediately. He started touching me. His shamelessness crossed the limit when he moved his hand towards my body's private parts. I was trying to counterattack him as strongly as I could and save myself from that devil. But, he was too strong. I begged him, "Please, don't do this" and shouted for the help perennially, but no one was there to listen to me. I felt helpless at that time. I couldn't believe that it was happening to me and that too in my own society. While that devil was busy in doing the most barbaric act in the world, the other guy was conniving him by playing a role of a watchdog by riding his bike around me and his friend. Then he too got off the bike after watching the drama for like 5 mins. Now, he too joined his evil brother. By holding my hands one by each, they both dragged me along the road. I was still putting my best efforts to oppose them, but everything was going in vain. The feminine strength of a single girl seemed to be having no chance to stand against the masculinity of those two! They now started tearing my clothes apart, and eventually, they did. The parts of my clothes were lying everywhere on the road. Finally, they did what they were up to. They raped me, one by one each. And once they were satiated and done, they threw me to the other side of the road like a piece of garbage and got disappeared in the dark on their bike.

I was still lying there, completely broken down, crying and groaning in a shuddering sob. That nerve-wracking incident had totally shattered me. I couldn't feel the pain ached by the lacerations anymore as they imprinted wounds on my body everywhere. At that moment, I remembered reading an article re one such incident in the newspaper a few days back. I could empathize with the victim. I could feel the pain she had gone through. Also, just like what was mentioned in that article, today as well, no one came to help. All were seemed to be sleeping in their houses. The writer of that very article was so true in mentioning wicked people like the ones who raped me today in India and their parochial mindset. I started doubting people of my country. I started loosing faith in them. However, I knew all of them are not evil. But still... (If a girl like me is not safe in her own society, then it would be better not to discuss the case when she goes out of her community.)

While gasping for breath, I heard my mobile phone (that was kept inside my purse earlier and now was lying on the other side of the road) ringing. While getting up, I felt tremble in my legs and an unbearable pain in my vagina, but still, with a lot of struggle, I went forward to pick it. I knew it would be my mom. And when I saw the caller name as "My sweet mom" on its display, my intuition took a definite shape of certainty. I didn't have the courage to pick the call and tell her what had just happened to me. I didn't have the courage to tell my mom the bitter truth that her daughter was brutally raped. She would get devastated if she came to know. And I didn't want anything like that happened to her. Apart from my father's, an epitaph below her name was the last thing I could ever wish to see. So, I decided to let that phone ring forever, and, with a dupatta rolled around my broken and naked body, start traversing in a direction that would take me far away from my family and this cruel world. Finally, I decided to throw myself into the hands of Almighty as my last resort.


-- THE END --