Okay. This thing must be shared and here I am doing the same. Took me about four months to get over the fear and let each one of you know. I am a photographer and I keep travelling. It’s my job. And on the top of it I love it. Like any of you I would think train journeys are safe. Just chain up your luggage and take care of your stuff rest all is fine. Trains are crowded and no can do anything. I mean that was the last thing I could have thought of happening in a train; Happening with me rather. We were three of us who got out tickets done in tatkaal. It was Bangalore to Delhi Rajdhani which we boarded from Bhopal. We were in a second AC coach and had three consecutive side uppers. I was on the second one from the door. At around 1 am we retreated to our seats. After listening to music and making an attempt to sleep, I dozed off somehow only to feel some cold hands raising my top and touching my back. Since I was sleepy much and because this idea was never fed into my brain that trains can be risky in more than one way, I just shifted a little, covered myself properly and my half-conscious state went back to sleep again. After half an hour or so the incident repeated and this time I got up shocked. I saw a tall darkman looking straight into my eyes from the curtains and asking if had any problem. To my horror he was not even a fellow passenger but the coach attendee. I wanted to scream only if I could. Somehow I managed to shout him away and quickly called my sisters who were on the nearby side uppers. We three couldn’t sleep then. Delhi Station was to come around 6 30-7 am. Around 5 am people hadn’t gotten up yet. Curtains were still pulled down when this mother fucker comes again and pulls both my curtains and scares the hell out of me. The saddest part of the story was even though I thought I was a brave enough girl, I could handle such situations with courage, I couldn’t. All I got was a seed of fear sown inside me. While that shameless guy, passed us again telling the passengers the station was about to arrive dripping a fake innocence from his face. My elder sister did stop him,tried to threaten him, and asked his credentials. People around also started to speak up while the victim remained quiet. I feel pathetic about the way I acted. Why couldn’t have I just caught his collar or kicked him in his balls, have thrown him out on the station and made a scene. For the moment may be he got panicky but no one saw a guilty man in him.Such shame! Like regular people, we got off the train when Delhi arrived; busy into our daily routine. We did nothing. Few days later news appeared on TV about a gang of attendees molesting female passengers in Rajdhani. It got me chilled again. You know what was the worst thing? That particular gang was out free enjoying their little fun,while the women who managed to file complaints were facing problems such as phone calls and messages from unknown numbers. It literally took me about four months to get over that small but disturbing incident and take a night journey again. Thankfully my parents are not such that they made me sit home and take rest from my work, but had me hear some bold stories from their life to make me learn how to face and react when in such situations.
Please share this with your female friends. Take care. Be Bold. Don't Stop Enjoying. Travel. It's such a sad state of affairs but Just be Prepared.
Pakhi
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