Nirbhaya- An Inspiration

A ray of light peeping through the window and chirping of birds made me get up and start a new day .It was like an inspiration to do something meaningful that day. I yawned multiple times and got up from my bed. It is a daunting task to get up early in the morning. I started preparing for the college and in between a message popped on my mobile phone. It said,
“Are you free for the movie today evening?”

I replied with a blushing smile.
“Yes. When and Where?”

“I will accompany you at the hostel around 6.00 pm,” the reply said

“It is very arduous to see same lecturers teaching you the same subject,” I whispered to Akshita.

I was trying hard to focus in the class which follows a monotonous routine every day. I was mused about meeting Sahil in the evening. My heart wants to share it with my best friend Akshita but I adjudicated to keep it confidential.

It was 5.00 already and I was getting anxious to leave the class.
“I will kill this stubborn guy. He always takes extra time to complete the topic,” I said to her.

He left us at 5.15 pm and I rushed to my hostel room like a mad woman running for no reason. I started preparing for the evening, there was a call.
“It must be Sahil,” I said to myself.

I was not in a condition to answer the call but somehow I managed to pick up the call with one hand and other one was busy doing eye make-up.
“Are you here,” I asked anxiously.

“Yes I am here. Where are you? I am waiting down-stairs,” He replied with intensity.
“But you were coming at 6.00 pm ," I defended myself
“Don’t defend yourself. Come fast,” He taunted me. “He is very cunning,” I thought.
“OK I am coming. Just wait 10 more minutes,” I replied and cut the call.

He was standing near the hostel gate wearing a white shirt and blue denim trousers with a leather jacket over the shirt.
“He is looking stunning,” I said to myself.

He waved his hand from a distance and same was done from my side with a sweet smile.
“These girls are always late,” He mocked me.
 I foisted his comment.
“If your remarks about girls are over, then we can move or not,” I chided him.

We commuted from bus which ply directly to the movie theater. We were fortunate enough to reach on time. We accommodated our corner seats and started watching the movie. In the half-way down the movie, He holds my hand and we kissed in the dark theater. It was the most ardent kiss we had ever done. I gazed into his eyes for a minute and my cheeks became pink again.
“You look more charming when your cheeks go pink”, He complemented me with a smile.

I rested my head on his shoulder and started watching the movie without uttering a single word.
The movie came to an end around 9.00 pm. We made a hasty exit from the movie theater. It was a hush outside. We were moving on a desolated road searching for an auto. After constant endeavor to search the vehicle heading hostel, we reached a bus stand. After numerous unsuccessful attempts, we saw a private bus coming in-front of us.

“Dwarka! Dwarka!” a boy in its teen age shouting from the entry. As I was getting late, we boarded the bus and saw few people already sitting there which gave us a sense of security. The same boy gave a ticket of Rs.10/- each and he passed some lewd comments on me. I thwarted Sahil from an altercation with him.
“I will kill him,” he said angrily. I tried to calm him and it worked well.

After a few minutes, Sahil noticed that bus was plying to a different route which made him suspicious and he revolted against it. I assisted him this time but was unaware of the situation coming in-front of us. All the commuters stood up and we were traumatized to see that all were companions. Suddenly one guy shut me up. They thrashed Sahil and took him to rear end. The boy hit him with an iron rod on his head which jolted him.
“Please stop it! Please stop it!” These were the words I reiterated numerously.

The bus driver continued to drive through the busy roads of Delhi and even crossed the police barricade. The bus had tinted glass which is against the law though police didn’t care to stop the bus. Sahil became unconscious and they forcefully controlled my limbs. They all were lechers and assaulted me. I protested hard but it was in vain. They tore my clothes like covetous beasts. Tears were streaming down my cheeks all the time. Their barbarian behavior went on for a long time. I was shouting for help every second but no one was there. I could see Sahil lending his hand to me in a semiconscious state. I tried hard but was not able to reach. I prayed and complained to God simultaneously.

 "Why me? Why me?" I cursed God.

They penetrated the same rod inside my vagina which perished my intestines. I howled with pain which can vandalize anyone's ear. The bus took a halt somewhere on the road. They hurled us out of the bus after this sinful act. They didn't even thwart after that. The bus driver tried to run over the bus on me. In the meantime Sahil gained consciousness and dragged me aside the road which saved my life with an inch.

We were lying unclad and there was blood everywhere on the road. He was growling with pain and shivering with cold. I lay unconscious on the road with a little bit of hand movement.  A lot of automobiles crossed in-front of us but no one dared to halt for a while. Like the deserts imploring for rain, we waited for the vehicles to stop.
“Why people are so scared that they can’t even help someone lying in the pool of blood”, I thought

Some of the vehicles stopped for a while but no one was having the guts to come out to cover us in the open sky of harsh winter night. They just watched us for a while, whispered to their counterparts and rushed away like some show was going on.
“Are people of Delhi so unkind”, I thought

“Delhi is a city of people with large hearts.” The fact seemed dwindling.

Suddenly a bike came in-front of us with one guy hastily got down to see our critical condition. The other one was trying to thwart him but he denied. He was like an angel sent by god. He communicated with the police and ambulance the very next moment. The police arrived within five minutes and covered us with a blanket.
“He is not shivering now”, I content myself.

We were in dreaded affliction due to the injuries those beasts gave us. The ambulance arrived shortly and we were sprinted to the proximate hospital. We both were scuttled to the operation theaters and our treatment tend to begin. Soon after my parents were informed, they arrived at the hospital in an utmost haste. I was lying on the bed with many doctors all around me endeavoring to save my life.
“How can someone be so barbarous?  Even animals are better,” Doctor said to his counterpart.

I could sense my mother peeping through the window of the operation theater with tears trickling down her cheeks. My father was traumatized to see his beautiful daughter in that inferior condition. They want to hug me but the red bulb on the door of operation theater was not permitting them to step forward. The doctors started lacerating my injured private part to operate it and it ended roughly after 4 hours.
“I haven’t seen the case like this before. She is on the ventilator, Rest depends on God,” Doctor said in a dreadful tone.

My mother sat on the bench in a trauma, her hand on the forehead with tears trickling down her cheeks. Suddenly a mob gathered in front of the hospital with banners written 'We Want Justice' on it.
"Where were these people when we were lying unconscious on the road?" I thought.

Police struggled to manage the large mob. They used the sticks and water cannons to segregate the crowd. The crowd was adamant and it gathered again in front of the hospital gate.
"We Want Justice!” Slogans that were reiterated numerously.

My mother sitting beside me, still in the trauma. It was very austere to believe that her daughter in this atrocious condition. My father was constantly in touch with the doctors to know about my improvement each moment. There was I discussed on all media channels. The constant pressure of press and the people made the system to come in action swiftly.
"Media is the third pillar of democracy," this statement is making some sense now.

The fight for justice by my fellow citizens made me stronger each day and I started challenging death. Doctors were pleased to see me recuperate.
"She is a valiant girl. She is showing good signs of recovery", Doctor said in a pleasing tone.

There was a vague smile on my parent's face. Sahil was operated successfully which made me more adamant to live.
"I want to live”, the thought was hovering my mind.

Police found the bus with blood stains completely removed by the culprits. The bus was thoroughly cleaned by the beasts to remove all the evidence. All were caught and hand-cuffed from their respective native places and brought to Delhi for trial to begin. This was the result of constant endeavor of people and media. The police took the Sahil's statement and he identified all the culprits which made the trial easier.

Soon the young generation from all over the country started demanding capital punishment for the culprits despite caste, creed and religion. They marched from India Gate to President’s House with banners and howling of slogans continued.
"Real Men don't rape"...
"Capital Punishment for the rapists"...
"We want Justice"...

Police was deployed in heavy amount near the President's House. They started to fire tear gas bombs to segregate the crowd but the protest sustained. They started thrashing sticks on the peaceful protesters. Even male police personnel’s thrashed female protesters.
"Are you the police or goons?" one of the female protester shouted.

I gained consciousness and there was a lady police officer anxiously waiting for my statement. I narrated the whole incident and she was traumatized to hear that the boy was the main culprit. I could see my mother weeping after listening to the whole incident to which my father consoled her with a hug. My mother hugged me as soon as the officer left.
"I don't want to die!" I don't want to die!" I reiterated numerously to my mother.
My condition deteriorated and was on the ventilator once again.

The incident instigated the spark around the whole world. India was condemned everywhere. Government formed committees and decided to solve the case rapidly. They debated on reforming the laws for these heinous crimes.
"Why an incident is always needed to make the country better? They should have done it before," I thought.

The trial begin and all the culprits were given death penalties except the juvenile boy. He was sent to the juvenile home. They expect him to transform from a criminal to a responsible civilian in approximately two years. People were mocking the government after this decision.
“If this will happen in India, people will tend to lose their belief in the judiciary and justice,” I thought.

My condition deteriorated with the passing days and was shifted to Singapore for the treatment. I took my last breath there and given the name Nirbhaya.

I am watching everything from above. Rapes have not stopped, leaders have not changed their mentality. People are not helping the needy .Giving the name Nirbhaya to give inspiration and opening a relief fund in the name of fearless will amount to disappointment. We all have to change our mentality to make our country better place to live in not only for women but for everyone.