As a child I remember my mother giving me very crisp instructions, whenever she used to go out.
"Donot open the outer door for anyone! No-one at all no matter how urgent it is!"
We are two sisters.
And the time I am talking about is 1998 when I was in my school.
And I always used to think, everyone around is so polite and courteous.. Why is mummy so conserative and so adamant on not opening the door, whenever she's not there.
"Zabardasti ka instruction dete rehti hai jab dekho tab"
is what I always used to feel!
And one day, Papa mummy and my younger sister had been out for some work and I was alone at home because I had my homework which I was supposed to finish by the time mummy came back home (which was a very obvious thing in late 90' and only the 90's kids would get this!)
We had a double door system, the inner one was a thick wooden door and the outer one was a grilled door.
It had been hardly 45 minutes since I was alone and one of -Papa's friend arrived.
He knew Papa Mumma from the time I was 6 months old. So he was like one of the most respectable acquaintances around.
I opened the wooden door and very courteously greeted him Namaste.
When he asked where is everyone I replied - "Noone is home except me."
He insisted that I should open the grilled door, but I was adamant because I knew very well that I couldn't go against this particular instruction given my Mummy.
I told him almost 8 times - "Uncle I cannot open the door."
(Just imagine his audacity, when a child is telling you, she can't open the door, why was he constantly insisting to do it otherwise...and you know what he himself had 2 daughters!)
The reason he wanted me to open the door, was because he was one of those kanjoos people we knew - who preferred using our landline phone to make some 10-12 odd phone-calls whenever he used to come to our place, and today also he wanted to do the same.
Using someone else's phone instead of the normal STD PCO was also a thing peculiar to the era of 90's when call rates were more than decent enough for a middle class household.
He kept on insisting that "Beta, bas mujhe 2-3 phone karne hain"
After 8 times, I gave up, after all I was in my 8th std.
How long could I disobey some elder's instructions!
But thankfully I used my basic commonsense -
I opened the door, our landline phone was in the corner of the drawing room, offered him to go and make the phone calls, whereas I preferred standing right next to the open door.
He took some 10 odd minutes and then when he was done with the calls, he asked me for a glass of water.
Again I used my common sense and replied - "Uncle aaj paani nahi aaya, kitchen mein bilkul paani nahi hai"
(How intelligent a kid I was!!!!)
I don't remember what exactly was the expression on his face..but after listening to my sort of rude reply, he left.
When everyone arrived home, I had finished half of my homework (such a lazy student I was ..half homework was way too much for one day! ),
the first question that Mummy always asked was
"Koi aaya toh nahi tha, humari absence mein?"
I got a little scared because I had disobeyed her instruction, but then I thought I did nothing wrong, hence I told her -
"Mr.Xyz had come, I told him I would not open the door, but when he kept on insisting , I opened the door, stood just next to the open main door, he made a few phone calls and then when he asked for water I denied..and then he left" Huhh I was done.
I could see a variety of emotions that appeared on my mother's face and kept changing till the last emotion that came when I finished my sentence - which was a sign of big relief.. the end part of the statement where I denied him a glass of water.
My mother in a very caring yet stern tone told me
"Beta aaj darwaza khol diya, aaj ke baad kabhi bhi mat kholna, chahe koi paani k liye mar jaaye!"
How happy I was!
And that night for the first time I heard my mother raising her voice at my Father (she usually was always very soft spoken) telling him clearly
"Aaj ke baad woh Mr.Xyz humko ghar mein nahi dikhna chahiye" and for the first time Papa did not say a word.
I couldn't much get it, as to why was Mummy so terrified of the fact that I had opened the door ...
and why did this small incident lead to a big brouhaha...
You know what was the trigger that reminded me of this incident of my childhood?
The Muzaffarpur Rape Case...
The rape case where minor girls from the shelter home were drugged, raped several times, by influential people, by people who had musclemen with them..and this happned for quite a long time.
Poor little girls, had noone to tell them
"Beta dont open the door"
They were the ones who were forced to enter some HunterWale Uncle's bedroom every night
forced to stay naked, so that they could entertain that Uncle and his friends..
were drugged every night, and had injuries all over their body and their private parts every night..
were denied for food and beaten very badly till they surrendered in-front of the Hunterwale uncle.
This is what money does?
This is what power does?
Why didn't he go to brothels? Why didn't he opt for females who were ready to sleep with him for some amount of payment..
why did he choose these small girls who did not have any caretaker..
Oh I forgot -
they did have a caretaker
and she was also a FEMALE!
Power Corrupts indeed and takes away all the human values too.
Please spread this message -
Every female child is ultimately a CHILD
AN INNOCENT CHILD
...Let their innocence not be shattered to pieces...
Protect all females around you if you can,
and if you cannot protect them atleast
Raise a Voice and Raise a Noise!
