Don’t call me “Didi”: Short Story on Molestation a Social Issue
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“om. bhu-r bhuvah. svah…..tat savitur varen.yam………bhargo devasya dhi-mahi…..dhiyo yo nah. pracodaya-t”………..”om. bhu-r bhuvah. svah…..tat savitur varen.yam………bhargo devasya dhi-mahi…..dhiyo yo nah. pracodaya-t”…………….Hello!!!!
As the mobile rang, I wake up from a small nap after lunch. I looked towards the clock. Ohhhh! Its 4 p.m in the evening.
Hello! yes ,I was sleeping. My husband was on the other side.
He replied, ” Today I want the vegetable of spinach,cheese in my dinner.But as there is no vegetable in the refrigerator so you go the weekly market and fetch some vegetables from there.”
“O.K.”……..I replied as I am a yes-yes person in front of Him.
“Oh…..again a boring task”, I realized.
I don’t want to go outside for such type of tasks. I usually prefer to stay home.But as it was an order so I must obey it. I prepared a cup of tea and began to get ready for the market.Market is not at a long distance from my house so I prefer to walk. After 15 minutes I reached there and fetch some vegetables from there.But being a housewife some means a lot. And I too overloaded myself from 2 big bags and 4-5 packets in my hands. Now I was unable to walk with these bags and decided to take Rickshaw towards my home.
But in the city Rickshaw Pullers have their own style. 4-5 Rickshaw Pullers already refused me to go so at last I started to walk with my bags on foot.Suddenly a Rickshaw Puller came and said,” Come Didi! I can drop you.
I turned and shouted, ” Why you call me Didi?I am not your didi……….Mind your tongue……..otherwise I will handover to you to the Police . You ba*tard! How dare you? ”
“I don’t want to sit in your rickshaw………Just go away!………..Go!!!”,I screamed with a loud noise.
He was surprised to see my anger and asked me to calm down.
“What’s wrong with you Didi? “‘Didi” is not an abuse……..Ok …as you wish!”, He replied and went away. I stood alone…..just lost in my thoughts.
Ohhhh No! I took a deep breath. “How idiot I am? Why I let him go?”, I regretted.
He is the one who was ready to drop me but my rude behaviour forced him to go.I put my bags on the road as they were overloaded from the vegetables and sat on a pavement for rest.After 5 minutes later I again put the bags on my shoulder and started to move towards my home.Thoughts were disturbing my mind which forced me to think that horrible day once again when I was molested by a tailor on the busiest road near my house.
A year back,I was on my way to the market to fetch the things for daily needs when suddenly a tailor stopped me to have a look on some new fabrics for stitching.Firstly I didn’t show any interest in His talks as I was in a hurry but He politely and in a very decent manner invite me in his shop.
“Please , Come inside Didi! There are some new fabrics available for suit length.You can select one from them.Just have a look at least.”, He told me in a very calm way.
At such a humble request ,I was unanswered and went inside His shop for the same.He was a 30 year old guy ,perhaps a bachelor one. He seems to be just like my younger brother though I was not usually interested to develop any relationship with strangers in such an easy way.
I started to choose the fabrics and select one from them.”How much cloth is required for a nighty?”,I asked.
He replied in a very soft voice,” Come Didi, Let me measure you first so that I can tell you the exact length of the cloth”.
I simply stood in front of him for the measurement.But suddenly I shocked to see that while measuring He started to molest me.I stunned a minute and shrieked,”How dare you?”
I ran towards the door and came out.Tears were flowing on my cheeks and my heart is beating so fast that even on a busy road of traffic one can easily heard the heartbeats that were crushing the pain of molestation inside me.
I was duped……duped by a person who called me “Didi” a minute before.Don’t He know that what this word “Didi” stands for? Yes,Didi means an elder sister.So no one can easily detect that what was going in His mind?
He is a lion in a wolf. I was being an innocent one didn’t estimate his vulgar desires.
Its better to address a woman with the words……”Madam”………”Bhabhiji”……so that One can mentally prepared from the wishes of a man.But one can’t guess such type of acts from those who pretends to be the real caretaker of them.
Though Today I forgot that incident but still that word “Didi” lasts on my mind and when someone addressed me for the same,I got out of control.
“Mumma!,You came?”, My Kids were asking, “Why didn’t you take any rickshaw?”,they asked.
I came out from my thoughts and noticed that I was standing in front gate of My house.
“There was no rickshaw available on the road and the one who came was not a nice man so I came back on foot”, I replied.
“Its Better to bear the hardships instead of the hard words”,I murmured.
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