Social Short Story – Leave Me Alone
Photo credit: anitapeppers from morguefile.com
It is the first call of a person when people unnecessarily disturb you, spy you or stalk you. This story is of one such girl who has become victim of stalking & she doesn’t even know that. She is a beautiful girl, good at heart, helpful, joyous & caring by nature. She wouldn’t have even thought of that after such an incident she would change forever.
The girl is fond of studies & reading books. She does her work wholeheartedly. One day she goes to market to buy some books for her new academic session is going to start. She takes her cellphone, bag & money & sets out for the market.
As she reaches the markets she can see many passerby & many book shops containing hundreds of customers. She stops outside a shop & thinks to purchase some books from it. She is unaware of thousands of observers around her who look at her without showing her that they are interested in her. She gets into the shop. The shopkeeper’s son takes special care of her offering her tea or coffee. She politely refusing & handling the slip to him. The shopkeeper asks her where she lives & tries to get information about her. She is innocent & answers all his questions without thinking why he wants to know more about her. The shopkeeper asks her to enter her address & cellphone number in his register to avail discounts if any in future. She does so & goes back to her home.
The next day she sets out for her college on her scooter. She feels as if someone is following her. However neglecting it she reaches her college. During her lectures she receives hundreds of missed calls from different unknown numbers. She is quite surprised as her family members don’t call when she is in the college. However during lunch time she goes to the canteen. It is in the basement. She sits down with her friend & starts talking to her. Suddenly she sees someone peeping into the college standing on the gate through the ventilator just in-front of her seat . She feels a bit afraid as she has never seen anyone behaving in such a manner. After college she returns home & through all coming days she feels the same thing someone is following her where-ever she goes. In the picture hall, college , market, nearby her house wherever she goes she feels some group of people following her & trying to get something from her. She doesn’t know what exactly.
Suddenly the whole environment around her has changed. People she doesn’t even know pass comments on her,smile stupidly, men trying to misbehave with her, try to peep into her eyes, ask her worthless questions like what happened? etc. Even the neighbors look at her with suspicion & one even asking what is the matter. The girl asking to herself
” What have I done ? What is my mistake?”
And not getting any answer. Even her mother & father behaving in doubtful manner. She doesn’t know what all is happening & tries to figure about.
She thinks & then comes to realize that it was since she went to that shop all things have changed. The shopkeeper is stalking her & made her life a hell. She is now quite broken from inside & afraid about her life & career. She is facing the brunt of being a girl & living in an Indian backward society where women can’t be thought of as single without having an affair.
She stops going outside except only for important works. She stays away from people. Those people whose presence was a delight for her earlier have now become headache for her. Even after she has told all things to her mother & father. They don’t trust her completely which she can feel through her behavior. The whole society forcing her for marriage in which she is not interested. She is interested in becoming something & serving her society. But the society is eating her because mostly women only marry but not all. They have dreams & it is their right to do full justice to it.
She changed but not for good. She is not happy but living a dead life away from people with hope that some day they will understand the pinch of being blamed unnecessarily & being given what one hates to be with.
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