On an ARTic exploration..

Sunita had to work late in the office. She managed to catch the last bus. The office bus dropped her on the stop, wherefrom she’d stride down to her house situated in a proper residential area. Just when she reached her lane, she felt a smash on her backside. Before she could understand what happened and react, the man on the bike had already swerved off.
Divya stepped on the street early morning. She got on the main road to catch the bus. That’s when a truck hurtled towards her, almost knocking her to death. The driver had guts to look back and laugh evilly making profane comments.
Jasmine boarded a crowded bus. She got no place to sit, yet somehow managed to squeeze into the tight space. Unable to bear with the advances of a middle-aged man standing behind her in the crowded bus, she got down at the immediate next stop.
Bindu missed her bus to the office. She got into the rickshaw. The rickshaw driver adjusted his rear view mirror to get a better look at her while she kept avoiding any eye contact, tightly clutching her bag all through the journey.
These are the day to day experiences of a working woman, a college going student, a school girl.

We call it the modern era. The 21st century. Where women and men are looked at, as equals. Is it really the case? Is this era equally safe for both the genders? Why can’t she walk the roads freely without having to constantly look over her shoulder? Will women forever remain targets and victims of eve teasing?

Are there any answers to these questions?

Irrespective of the age, the dress, the looks, the educational, professional and marital status... irrespective of the time, the place, women are subjected to all kinds of mistreatment starting from stalking to eve teasing. The menace of eve teasing is only growing in appalling proportions. Being the fastest growing nation, also brings along the fastest growing problems; one of them being the irreverence of eve teasing. These disturbing incidents usually take place on streets, public transport, offices, other public places. A known problem it is, yet nothing has been done to ensure the safety of women.
What the government will do about it, we can’t really tell. But we, the women, can certainly take precautions and protect ourselves from eve teasing by being STREET SMART.

Few points to remember:
• Most of us carry an umbrella every day. While walking on a lonely street, keep the umbrella handy to knock off any attempter.
• Arm yourself with a swiss knife, pepper spray or carrying pins to ensure safety.
• Learn some form of self defence.
• If something happens, raise an outcry, as loud as you can.
• Try to travel with a male company; especially at odd hours.
• Call up police if there seems no other solution.

Eve teasing contravenes the basic right of woman to live in dignity. It can leave a lasting psychological effect on women.
Let’s try to FIGHT TOGETHER and weed out this evil.

Why do you have to go away?
Leaving me all alone,
To vivify my sadness,
And my heart to totter in pain..

Your awayness is algogenic,
But it makes me cognize,
Your aura is all around,
Ceaselessly by my side..

The wonders of my obscure odyssey,
I wish to perceive with you,
The fears of every hollow wall,
I want to face with you..

I want to be, wherever you are,
Just like the wild blue yonder,
Just like the soothing zephyr,
I want to be, just want to be, with you, till eternity..

It was a lazy Saturday morning. Though I slept late the other night, I couldn’t manage to sleep longer than 9a.m. I woke up with a call from my father. They had consummated their trip to the Golden Temple and Wagah border and were jubilantly heading towards Jammu. They are on a North India tour, covering Agra, Haridwar, Hrishikesh, Amritsar, Jammu, Vaishno Devi, Srinagar and Delhi. How I wish I could have accompanied them. When people tell me about their visits to diverse parts of the country, the green eyed monster in me is awaken. Why am I not one of them? Well, it’s all in fate. After his call, I attended few more calls from relatives, friends and finally got up. All of my activities were being carried out in a very slothful manner. I made tea, picked up the newspaper and switched on the TV while sipping in the refreshing beverage. Today, no activity was planned, unlike other weekends, when I have a properly chalked out program. The only thing on agenda was – Wedding reception of a friend. When he had called me to invite for the reception, I was pretty excited to be a part of the wonderful occasion. I had known the love story that this couple shared and I felt blessed to be able to witness the union of two people, truly in love. But the way this loony day was progressing, I was not sure if I will really be able to make it. Anyway, I am new to the city, I wasn’t knowing the way to the venue plus the Bangalore rains can play their games any random time, so, I was just cooking up reasons for why I might not be able to go. I continued lazing around, watched 2 movies back to back, browsed the net, had maggi for lunch (Cant thank the Maggi producers enough for launching a product like that, it’s a boon!). The eventide had casted its spell and my laziness was at its peak when my friend (the groom) called up to explain the venue address and enquired about how I will be reaching there and all. While on call, I went to the terrace and ascertained the weather conditions, no dark patches had painted the blue canvas. The reception was to start at 7p.m. I still had one hour. Impetuously I gained the lost excitement and confirmed my arrival. Immediately after disconnecting his call, I called up my best friend, the chalta phirta Google map of Bangalore to know the exact route to the area. I stay at Koramangla and I had to go to Vijay Nagar. She told me its good 20-25 kms ride. We discussed about the various modes of transport I can avail to get there and analysed the best option. She suggested that if I go on my bike, I will get to explore the South side of Bangalore and in the process, know the city better. The idea clicked! After spending a shiftless day, I was all set to take up the challenge to reach other part of the city in extremum traffic, when I am not even sure of the way. I concluded, I will go on my bike, no matter what.
I have a bike, an Activa. I call her Vandiva. Lately, she keeps complaining about being ignored by me. She says unlike Pune, when we used to ride everyday to office and back, I don’t accompany her and prefer spending hours with my new friend in Bangalore, the bus. She has a rambling kvetch that many a times I don’t even have time for her over the weekends. With a longing look, she once told me, “I keep cleaning myself with the rainwater so that am ever ready for a ride with you” I was touched. Today I had the perfect opportunity to fulfil her desire and beat about the reception venue. I jumped on it, got attired for the occasion and began with the long haul.
The first halt was at the gift centre. I picked up a lovely present apace and reconfirmed the route to the venue from the shop keeper. He scared me a little when he said, “VijayNagara? It is far off madam; you will take a long time in this traffic to reach there.” With full support of Vandiva and an audacious mindset to go; nothing could shake me off it. We continued our expedition.
I admit that I am not very good with directions. I also admit that I have no inhibition about talking to strangers. The two traits work in favour of me. The very point when I get confused about which way to go, I confirm it by asking the first person I see (who looks like he can give directions: D) preferably an Auto rickshaw driver. On my way to Vijay Nagar, I would have had a word with almost around 10 auto wallahs. They were all very very kind and sweet people. Some offered me to follow them till a convenient point, some signalled the directions, some tried to explain in broken Hindi. But my mind registered the particular line which was repeated by a few of them, “Go straiietaa.. dead endaaa.. take a lefta(or righta)” Loved the accent in which they lovingly explained the route to a newcomer like me. With the help of such benignant mortals, I finally reached the destination in nearly 1.5 hrs.
Vandiva was happy, but a little tired. I allowed her to rest and with a sense of accomplishment, I went inside and greeted the newly married twosome. They were glad to know about my joyful ordeal, but I was definitely gladder telling them about it  Looking at the two of them, so happy together, I loved myself for taking the right decision to be there. I had a lovely time with a lovely company and great food.
After sharing some light moments with the bride and the groom, I started my way back home. This time a new route (thanks to the multiple one ways), new set of rickshaw wallahs, but the same old line with the same warmth, “Go straiietaa.. dead endaaa.. take a lefta (or righta)” We reached back home, safe and sound. I am sure Vandiva won’t whine for a long time to go.

It’s been long time. I really don’t remember the last time I actually did sit back to pen down my thoughts.. not that am penning them down now:) Time has moved ahead.. now am typing it!! So, u can guess when was the last time I had written it out.. it’s almost been 7-8 years.. gosh.. long time... I don’t even know why I suddenly gave up.. I had some qualms about it.. still unable to figure out what, why? I probably felt I don’t quite fit the regime.. I felt I aint no good..
But since a past few months am being governed by this whim: I want to start writing again. I want to take these innumerable thoughts out on paper! And here I am! Ready to recompense on the lost time... Ohh how much have I missed.. its possibly difficult to find out.. But I am not going to miss it anymore :D And now that I have decided, you will have to bear with me :P
To begin with, let me tell you how the idea clicked! I was all set to leave Pune, such a wonderful place it is... It was really sad leaving the city, my lovely friends there, my old company, colleagues.. it was a doleful experience. Nevertheless, it was my decision to move on.. to a new city, the Silicon Valley, the Rock capital of India, Bangalore, now Bengaluru, .. a city with some known and more of unknown people.. I knew Pune, being in Maharashtra, was always an easy option to get settled in.. I don’t deny the possibility of getting back to the city but I had to move out of my comfort zone and explore the acculturation of other cities across the country.. Bengaluru calling high time!!! Pune things were all wrapped up, I went to my hometown Nagpur, before finally moving to bengaluru.. One thing for sure, no matter wherever I move, in the country, or elsewhere, Nagpur will be my home.. home sweet home.. I have spent a whole 22 years of my life out there.. a journey from being a child to a young girl.. it was all experienced in Nagpur afterall! Well, so, I was in Nagpur, digging my old shelf to discover stuff that I can take along to my new bivouac. It has already been 4years since i moved out of my house.. like a little bird would leave her nest to fly to a new world.. to learn new things, to germinate its personality and then evolve... anyways, so now, my shelf was no more my property.. it now belonged to my younger sister and she had totally amalgamated it with her own shelf, beautifully. My belongings were moved to the upper unit, where they dwelled safely, untouched. Only to be examined by me, whenever i felt like getting in touch with my older self. I felt like it, and so I was going through the whole bunch of my greeting cards, old letters of friends, my debate, elocution write ups, my compering scripts.. it was all there.. and amidst the whole bunch, i saw a few stray pages of my notebooks. I must admit, it was fun to read through those!!
I will tell you what it was like.. While studying i would have written over the memorable points of a lengthy answer, and then there would be a para describing my feelings about a random topic... about saving trees, about the education system, about a family gathering, some cribbing when I must have been angry, a prayer to God on why I am not able to concentrate on my studies.. it was written in an abstract manner.. but totally displaying my trail of thoughts at that point in time. So, innocent, so naive. Ohh, I was so glad i found them..
That’s when i pondered, had I continued writing and at the same time preserving my write-ups, I would have been able to track down the changes in me over a period of time. All of us grow, some change, some don’t. We grasp things from the people around us, some good some bad. We learn, we forget. We fall, we resurge. Over a period of time, we undergo changes which we don’t quite realise. Just like historians try to trace the facts from the books of that particular era.. we can actually see the metamorphosis we have undergone through these varied outcomes of our brain at different stages of our lives. We can get in touch with ourselves (of the past) and look at where we have reached now (in present) just by reading through what we had written. How convenient!
So, why not start creating a treasure of our own old self as we move ahead in life... if not with others, we can at least get in touch with ourselves, whenever we want!
And so, I have decided, I want to have my riches when I am 60.
I want to create my own treasure.