15 December 2012
“Maa I am getting late, come with my purse please” Heena requested to her mom.
“Have some patience, take it” Her mom gave her purse.
Heena opens it to take her phone out. “Maa what is this? I don’t need so much money” Heena said
“Take it, you may need these” she answered. Heena took her phone out and drop something from her purse. And her eyes broadens after seeing that thing. And she said “oh maa come on! I don’t need a pepper spray”
“Quiet, your brother inside. You know Na it is not safe for girls at night and you will be coming home late also. I don’t want to listen anything keep it.” Her mother said.
“Ok” Heena said in low pitch. Followed by a smile on both the faces.
“Its 8:00 and I am still at here. Now I have to go, they must be waiting for me”
“Happy birthday in advance didi” Akshay greeted her sister.
“Enjoy” her mother said. “Thanks chhoto” Heena said.
“Don’t call me by that name I am 11 year old” Akshay said in irrigative voice.
She laughed, Hugged her mother and left.
Heena is 24 years old and an engineering student. And was waiting for her 25th birthday which is on 16 December or better to call in next four hours. So she was throwing a party to her friends Rohit, Rupali, Virat and Anushka. They have fixed their program first a Hollywood movie then looting a mall after that encountering a restaurant and then back to home.
They all met in front of cinema hall
“Where have you been? Movie is about to start” Rohit said
“Whoa birthday girl is looking damn to pretty in this suit” Virat complemented.
“Thanks” Heena said and smiled.
“No time for complements lets go.” Anushka said
They went inside. Movie ended at 10:30. Then they went to nearby mall where she got her presents then they went to adjoining restaurant. There they have ordered Food and a cake. But Rupali suggested to wait till it 12:00.
“FIVE FOUR THREE TWO ONE” Countdown started and after that they sang happy birthday song which echoed in all over restaurant.
It was 1:00 so they decided to end their joy. They departed from restaurant to their homes. Heena went to the main road find an auto but can’t find. So she walking to her way. It was cold and she was enjoying that. She have barely saw Delhi so deserted for the very first time. She messaged her mother she was coming. She have walked too long, and not yet seen an auto. She was passing through a night club where saw three men were fully drunk and continuously staring at her. But in a country like India a girl get used to eve-teasing. She passed from there. After walking for a while she felt that someone was following her. She turn to see if she was right or not. She turned and saw those drunken men. She got scared. So she speed up. In the deserted silence she could only her the sound “tap tap”. She got more frightened as the sound was coming closer and closer whish was fasten her breathe, She was sweating. Her grip on pepper spray tightened. But suddenly her dupatta was held by someone. She breathe stopped like her steps. Her leg shivered. She turned and sprayed her only safety weapon on them. Their eyes was on fire but one of them somehow escaped and slapped her so hard that she fell. He snatched Pepper spray from her hand. They started their nasty comments. Heena burst into tears. Begging them to leave her. He grabbed her hair and yanked and all she could do was scream. And then it began. It was all a blur—her clothes being torn off, the excruciating pain, the scream dying in her throat, her choking, the pain growing, the faces changing but the pain still being there—and then her fainting and regaining consciousness. Again and again and yet again. Till there was nothing left of her except a bleeding body and a vacant stare. A beautiful innocent soul had been torn apart. A hellish act was done, humanity died and left its scar on an innocent soul.
A pepper spray was not enough to save herself from such devils.
24 HOURS LATER
‘The patient was brought in unconscious. The initial tests have confirmed rape. Plus she had
Gruesome injuries. The idea was to leave her unrecognizable so she wouldn’t be able to give a statement if she survived. ‘She had a fractured skull and sustained severe head injuries that led to blood clotting in her brain. It appeared she had been hit on the head by either a brick or something heavy. There is also a possibility that someone smashed an alcohol bottle over her head. Looks like the men who raped her had been drinking. After raping her they tried to kill her. Under the influence of alcohol they wouldn’t have been able to make out if she was dead or not. Either way, they left her to die.” All news channels were broadcasting this news. The anger of this act went like a fire. And police caught those devils. The horror of this monstrous crime caught people’s attention. It shook their conscience in a way that they not only condemned it, but also wanted to do something about it. It made their blood boil in a
Manner that had never happened in the past. It invited outrage from across the country. It made way for a million voices that further led to an uproar across the length and breadth of the country. People questioned the law and order in the country and especially in the national capital. There were angry discussions on what the society had become. But inside there was someone who was fighting a battle with death. Her mother and brother were praying along with her friends along with whole nation. And unfortunately for a large part of India, she had become impure; an impurity that could not be undone by any means. A stigma was now attached, embedded in her and had become a part of her existence. Even though she had never wanted it. Even though she had resisted it. Unfortunately, she would have to live with it—if she survived. And so that the extent of her ignominy could be minimized, she was robbed of her own identity, of her real name in those media stories but nobody knows the name of rapist.
AFTER 60 HOURS
Prayers worked, and gained consciousness. Joy spread in allover India. Heena have the battle. Seeing her alive her family and friends were happy but she was in Psychological trauma. She was alive but still lifeless. After few days she was discharged. On stepping out of the hospital, media reached her attached with their humiliating questions just to gain TRPs “how are you feeling? “ “What will you do know”, “what happened to you that night”, her tears was her answers. And she reached home. She thought she would be welcomed as she have won but it remained as only a thought. She spent her days lying on bed, crying over and over again. Her mother trying to make Heena feel better but it doesn’t work. She was into pieces from inside but no could pick and put her together. After one week, suddenly she was struck by a question asked by herself .Was she responsible for what happened? Her soul answered YES.
What if I wasn’t helpless in front of those, What if I have been brave? Why do I need a Pepper spray for my safety?
Then she decided and promised to herself that she wouldn’t let history repeat itself with any other women in this country. I will be the last girl who will be suffering from this. Enough. No women will be scared at nights on roads.
She wiped her tears came out her room and called her friends who protesting for her in front of Rashtrapati bhawan.
“Hey, how are you?” Rohit picked up phone
“I am coming there” She said
“What” Rohit was stunned.
“I am coming there” She said again
“You don’t need to come here” Rohit said
“I am coming” in a trembling voice she said and hanged up
Her mother and brother asked where she was going?
“I am going to being a change” She said and smiled.
Her mother smiled at seeing the most beautiful smile ever.
A chain of protest started in all over India led by Heena, a rape victim. She demanded many changes by government. She send the list to the Prime Minster which stated that
- Each and every school going girl should be given Karate lessons. So she never depend on someone else for her own help.
- Police have to do patrolling all over night.
- Law should be reformed, which would give strict punishment to those inhuman.
Government have get down in front of youth, having boiling blood in their veins. Soon these requests were implemented. Those Rapist were hanged to death.
After 1 year
“…You get so furious when you read about the rape incidents daily in the newspapers. You fume with anger & storm out into the streets fighting for justice to the victims. But, how can you bring them justice when you can't fight for yourself? How can you expect those rapists to be punished when you let your own molester go scot-free?
And, what are you keeping quiet for? Your silence sounds like you're giving in & giving up. Your silence echoes like an apology. And, what are you apologizing for? For being born as a girl?
Are you going to let yourself be scarred & scared for the rest of your life or would you rather gain control & teach that lowlife a lesson to last for his lifetime?
Don't be an apology, girl. Be a nightmare for this pervert. Be a warning. Be a danger. Be a lesson that he will never dare to forget. So, go after him. You are best as a friend and worst as an enemy. Scream your lungs out. Beat the living daylights out of him until he can feel your pain. Don't be afraid to create a scene. Let everyone get a good look at him. Let him know that he can't get away with this. Fight for yourself. Fight for all your sisters. Because, no one else can do it for you.” A thundering clapping started on speech for Heena on occasion of receiving Bharat Ratna as well as Noble Price for peace. A lot have change in this one year. Now Heena is stronger than ever before.
16 December 2013, 12:00 am
In the dark night, Heena was going back her home from airport. Her phone ranged as It was her birthday. She was smiling seeing them. She was moving swiflty and suddenly stopped, someone held her duppata, she assumed. In that short span of time she went to flashback exactly one year ago on the same road, that same happening. But this time she wasn’t helpless, she wasn’t scare anymore. She was all set to bang into that bastard. She was expecting some nasty comment, but silence was there. She turned around, no one was there. She took sigh of relief, freed her dupatta from nereby bike's handle. She was glad everything has changed. Today she have actually won the battle, A battle within………..