Powerless

That is exactly how i felt at 5:30 in the morning when in the bus from bangalore back to college. This man sitting in the single seater behind me had just put his hand in my shirt! My immediate reaction had been to go complain to the driver but as I walked till the driver's seat, I realised we were in the ghats Moreover, in the night when everyone was fast asleep, the driver was not the one I would want to trust. So I had asked the guy sitting in front of me to swap places with me and the sweet chap did so immediately [Bless him] .

And there I was, contemplating on what to do. Should I go right now and punch him on his face and gorge out his eyes, or should I do as all my elders would have adviced- sit quitely and not tell a word of it to anyone ?

That is when I got the full impact of how helpless and weak I actually was. See a single girl and any pipsqueak could dare to misbehave because he has the confidence that she will not retalliate. I could have been anyone - a lady with 2 little kids, a girl of barely 13. I would not have had the guts to retalliate if the guy looked anywhere near dangerous. I would have done just what thousands like me have done so far- sit silently.


I refuse to be silent, I refuse to be subdued.
I refuse to feel powerless.