Did Somebody say....... RAPE..????

According to the Mumbai Police’s records, a total of 219 rape cases were registered in the city last year compared to 192 cases in 2010. The number of rape cases has, in fact, risen steadily over the past three years, with the figure being 178 cases in 2009.

Mumbai saw a 14 per cent jump in rape cases in 2011, further damaging its reputation as a safe city for women. It also saw a 23 per cent hike in the number of cases registered for outraging the modesty of women last year.That meant that women were not safe in the city of Dreams.

Her retro tiny digital wrist-watch showed 12.30am. A wet shopping bag in hand, trying to arrange her messed up wet hair. It was raining cats and dogs; there was an uncomfortable and eerie stillness in the air; all you could hear were the rain drops. It was past midnight; her shift had ended; there was no soul in sight as she waited for her cab. It had been just over a month since Reema started working in the Call center much against her parents’ wishes.

As she waited for her cab; her mind rushed back to outrageous, gruesome, horrific stories she had heard about rapes and murders in this part of the town. She was dripping wet in the rain, and in the fear of the known- unknown! The rain God didn’t show any signs to subside nor the cabbie or city bus was in sight. Ironically the street lamp next to the stop she was waiting in started to flutter. It was right out of the scene of a Mahesh Bhatt horror flick, and  the part just before the arrival of the demon. Of course this was her real life and not a movie for her to close her eyes and pass through the spine-chilling parts of serious night in Mumbai.

The wind grew wilder, thudding sound of the lightning, the raindrops bigger but there was no end to her frightful wait. The cabbie was not picking up her calls and she could not even find an auto to take her back to her office or even to her home. Newly arrived beautiful girl in town hardly knew anyone who could come to her rescue at this uncanny hour. Diverting her mind off the loneliness and still trying to calm down her nerves taking steps as fast as she could, Chaph-Chaph the water splashed as she stepped forward the only creepy sound she could hear were her footsteps.
Reema saw a Qualis approaching her. She froze in fear from the stories of women being forced into such cars and driven around city while being raped. She wished she had listened to her folks and not relocated to take such a job. She cursed her decision as she frantically sought an option to not fall prey to another such incident and become just another statistic in these ever increasing reports of crimes against women.

Running out of options she finally took out the pepper spray and a pointed object. The beam of light came closer and closer, light beam clearly showed raindrops falling on the ground.As the Qualis stopped near her and the glasses rolled down, still avoiding the intervention; she began to hum  Hanuman Chalisa and pointed the pepper spray towards the car window ready for the assault to save her modesty. There it was, moment to give a daring look, the do or die hour for her. As she was about to press on the nozzle, and shout for her life... a lady in a kind voice spoke from within the car. It was her manager! It wasn’t a rapist or a murderer. It was someone who knew her and stopped to offer her a lift home! She heaved a sigh of relief, the feeling of being raped, molested  subsided. As she accepted the lift; She knew she couldn’t ever be gladder to see her manager then that night! It was as if someone above had made sure of her safety. 


Like Reema there are thousands of ambitious women who tremor walking down the streets of Mumbai during late hours.
Does that mean women should not have ambitions just because a species called MEN is out there to rape a decent woman, a women  who is striving to fulfill her dream, The modesty of women is her pride and that should be respected. Mere Figures and statistics counting would not curb crime against women. The city of dreams they say Never Sleeps is actually being defamed by some night predators.
Its time we stand for change..!! Demand A place for safe commuting for women....
Because Not every girl is lucky like Reema!!