Give It A Thought

It’s a Saturday afternoon and Rohan escapes bunking the class and moves outside the building. It was quite a boring lecture before he could get bored more by the fact the college kept open on a Saturday especially for some talk-to-talk in the evening. He decides to bunk the class. While he walks towards the front of his college he thinks of talking to his girlfriend for a while. So, he calls her up and begins talking about her whereabouts.

“Hello Nina...! How are you? Let’s talk? As anyways I have successfully bunked my lectures here.”

“Hey hi Rohan that’s bad anyways had to happen you don’t like Saturdays working, right.”

“Hahaha right...! you know me so well Nina. Ok, I remembered you were going to some birthday party. Are you in there?”

“Hmm yes, I am at Amy’s birthday party. Still missing you idiot. You could have come here. While staying there. And yes, forgot to tell you I have worn the dress that you gifted me, fits well great choice darling.”

“Ahh yeah, I have a great choice, so that’s why I have you, not like others as in Amey, he is a total dork, he seriously doesn’t have a taste for Trinity? I am sure he must have come to the party with that girl. She has eventually dated 3 boys the previous year.”

“It’s ok, she is pretty that’s why and top of that she is open-minded, thinks from the heart. That’s not her problem. Stop being a racist idiot.”

“Ok fine but I hate them…”

“As if they care about it ok bye the cake cutting time has come, talk to you later.”

As she said this, he also bid goodbye and cut the call.

He walked forward and sat near shade and started to see his Instagram handle. He opened Instagram and saw Nina’s stories and he opened up. He saw that they were in some park and she had clicked selfies with some boys and were putting their hands on her shoulders. He was annoyed at this and immediately called her and asked her about this.

“Nina, what the hell is this? Who are those guys in your Instagram story?”

“Hello, what happened Rohan? They are just friends of Amy. We are just hanging out in the park, why what’s the problem?”

“Problem? Seriously Nina that guy behind was putting his hand on your shoulders and they are Amy’s friends, what are you doing with them?”

“Oh, Rohan we just met up and I found them interesting, and anyways they are good so why are you getting tensed up?”

“Me getting tensed up? Oh yeah, I should because you are my girlfriend and only I have the right to touch you, no one dare do this. Do you understand?”

“Who are you to decide who should touch me and who should not? I can even prevent you from touching me. It’s my right and my decision.”

“You know what, I just don’t want to talk about it, bye.”

Rohan cut the phone and was very angry with Nina now and couldn’t believe that she said that. He was now very angry and just sat there. He saw a group of friends where there were just 2 girls and 5 boys and nicely talking and laughing and was now more annoyed imagining his girl.

“Seriously shameless people. How is that even possible, 2 girls and 5 boys? They are surely planning for a night over and complete their job.”

As he said that he felt a presence. “Ahh hello, I feel that’s wrong right.”

He heard it from behind and turned side and saw a beautiful girl behind. He was startled and shocked for a moment and couldn’t even talk and just stared at her. “Oh! Come on you already have a girlfriend so don’t stare at me like that.”

Rohan slowly regained his stunned face and asked her, “Who are you and why are you sitting beside me?”

She replied, “After all that staring thing does it matter now?”

He blushed a little and she began, “Well, I have come to tell a very important thing that you don’t know and care about but am damn sure you will change.”

“What is it a 2012 disaster awakening?”

“Well, it's more than that!”

By this time Rohan knew that his sarcasm thing was not going to work but the question was still in his mind who she was and why does she speak thus.

“I know you are thinking too much but now just chill and look back and think about that guy who’s staring at us.” 

A boy also bunking the lecture came behind of these two sittings. Rohan was again annoyed because he was staring at him for long. He just asked that boy what he was doing. That boy looked a nerd, he opened his bag and took a book and started reading looking down in the book and said 'hello'. Rohan and that girl were looking at him.

And Rohan said to himself, “Nowadays people can’t mind their own business and start talking.” A

s he made this remark she just looked at Rohan making those suspicious cat eyes and said “really?”

Then Rohan remembered that he was also doing the same and said awkwardly, “Augh ok, I know, so what, I am not that guy by the way, who are you, and what are you doing with me?”

She replied, “Well my name is Madhuri and I am from this college and you will know me more because I want to talk to you and even you are free till the last period. So, just wanted to make friends, is it so difficult to make friends who don’t judge you for any reason?”

Rohan said, “Absolutely not, I am your friend now. You are cute, you can have friends.”

She made a quick reaction and asked him, “If this is the reason then I am sure by the end if I tell you my story about here you will surely hate me. Anyways I have come to talk to you, so I will start.”

He was now more anxious to know her story and why is she saying such things.

He said, “Ok I am ready as I have nothing to do and already pissed with my girlfriend so I can at least make a new friend today.'

She smiled and sat properly with a storytelling posture and started…

“As you know my name so I won’t tell it again. I had joined this college on 20** of July and was very happy because this was always my dream to enter an Engineering college. I was in all too interested in all the college activities and became more popular with my hard-core attitude. I was a total savage girl, no boy in the college could handle my sarcasm level and thus all the boys' hopes were drawn to the ground to make a relationship with me because they thought I was too easy to go.

I was too feminist and couldn’t handle any problem related to girls like racism, ragging, or any. One such incident happened where my bestie on of my group friend was being ragged and harassed and they were going physical with her. I saw it and bashed those by just roasting them in front of everyone in the middle of the corridor. They were, I remember, the cool boys from the EEE department. Anshul, Gautam, and others were like 5 people who were the group members. These two I knew because Anshul was handsome and Gautam was a pervert as hell. Gautam was kind of that freak who had spent the night with almost all the girls, a total playboy. So, lets come back to this. I got their shits out like they were and had to get offended. Every time they would come to bully me they would return getting more humiliated.

Days passed by and one day Anshul came to my class and asked for me. I said the guy who passed this message to tell Anshul to come inside the class and tell them what he wanted to tell. Anshul came and apologized to me in front of my group of girls. Leena, Amrita, and Shalini were just mocking him. Leena just whispered to me in my ears that I do not trust him. I asked him the same question and that why I should trust you with your apology. He replied, “If I wasn’t sorry for what I did I wouldn’t have dared to come inside your class and give my apology in front of your friends with keeping my eye to your beautiful eyes.” I was flattered and fell in crush with him. He had a smile while he said that. I started believing and to keep my innocence I just blushed a little and told him to go. He went by giving me a sweet smile. I just smiled at him back and friends were annoyed.

As time went by me and Anshul became very good friends and I started giving more time to Anshul rather than my friends. They started feeling my absence but I wasn’t feeling anything for them, because I was feeling great with Anshul. At some point, I found out that Shalini was in a relationship with Brad who was also friends with Gautam and I couldn’t believe she could do this, and I went to confront her. She didn’t talk and avoided me for a few days. I saw that when they used to be together. Brad would touch her inappropriately. She didn’t do anything. At some time, I found that she was carrying alcohol to college and eventually got drunk by the afternoon session and her mood swings were becoming an issue.

I wanted to talk to her, one day I forcibly made her talk with me in the class. She was so annoyed with this that she asked me the question “When you first started getting close with Anshul, who is also the best friend of Gautam, leaving us who are the former best friends did I tell you anything? You bitch when you get intimate with Anshul did I tell you anything? So, stop minding my business. You now don’t belong here.” I was shocked as she said this. I was starting to cry and sat on my bench with Leena. Leena was like, why you left us it’s all your fault. And she left the bench and sat behind. I felt isolated by now. I felt angry also because I never got intimate with Anshul anytime. And the rumors with just one began to start all over the class and slowly other branch students. Some girls started to call me a slut and my friends didn’t want to talk to me. For some time, I was only talking to Anshul but when that began to get noticed I stopped it.

I started receiving prank calls. I couldn’t talk about it to parents, it was all bottled up. I didn’t take up the decision to suicide also because then who would take care of my parents. I bared it all because even teachers believed in the rumors because it was mass. And baring this for long, it was a night party at the college as the last day of the 3rd year. I had come and no one talked to me, I was depressed and started drinking a little. Then Anshul came and told the very caring way that I was too hazy, his house was near, I could take rest and move to my home the next morning. I went with him to his house. There were those 5 boys Gautam and his friends smoking and drinking. I said to Anshul this was not the right time. And Anshul pushed me and I fell and I could see his new color. His behavior was changed. He said “What you think I behaved with you such just to get your love or something? Damn that. I only did this to teach you a lesson to use your attitude against us. You thought the college was yours, now the same worthy people of yours don’t care about you.”

I climbed up the sofa and he was so frustrated about the incident that took place earlier about his friend Gautam. He couldn’t control his anger and then he smashed a beer bottle on my head, I fainted. Blood was oozing out from my head. I could hear them a little. Gautam wanted revenge and so he with his friends raped me. They tore down my dress and I was left with bruises all over. My breathing slowed down and as one guy realized this he shouted that I was dead. They picked me up and went down the staircase to Gautam’s car. While coming down Brad was coming with Shalini who was also drunk and realized something was wrong. And she quickly picked up her phone and was about to call Leena and others then Brad interrupted and didn’t allow to do this. They put me in the car and they drove near the college road and they dumped me in one corner. I was still breathing a little. As they started the car, the car moved backward and hit my ribs. The stopped and drove away. After some time, my friends came and Leena cried over my body and she realized I was raped. Shalini was scared and told everyone to not tell anyone about this. Firstly, her image is worst and now if they know we are friends with her people will troll our lives. Leena was crying but couldn’t help her out and she left me and all went away. I was left alone amid the night.”

As the story was being told Rohan had tears in his eyes and he almost cried. Madhuri’s body had become now fully bruised as he was found that night. He didn’t notice that because he was too emotionally driven.

Then Madhuri asked him the question that, “Now look at that group and tell is the fault of girls that they are happy and laughing roaming with a bunch of boys? Is it anybody’s fault to be happy with someone with which they want to be with? Is it good to judge?”

Rohan looks at the group and says “No it’s not their problem but ours.”

He turns back to Madhuri and she vanishes. He is awestruck and didn’t believe his eyes at all. He then asked that guy who was behind and asked him where that girl went.

He replied annoyingly “Which girl you are talking about? Now, do you realize why I was staring at you? You were effing acting weird. Whom were you talking to?”

Rohan didn’t understand himself, he then remembered about her name Madhuri and searched google and found, “Madhuri Mehta found dead on the road of the*****college of engineering and technology and being found to be sexually harassed by five people.” Rohan realized Madhuri was a ghost and all this time he was talking to a ghost. The guy reminded him that they had to be present in the hall in 10 minutes, "let’s go." He didn’t have any idea and yet began to walk towards the hall for the function. While he was walking, he asked that guy what was this function all about. He said it’s a gathering for rest to the soul of Madhuri Mehta who died a month ago and the criminals are in jail since yesterday. He was in dilemma till now. They both entered the hall.

Rohan saw all her friends whom she was talking about. He went behind and sat. After some time, our principal, and heads of all departments and dean came accompanied by Madhuri’s parents. The college heads lighted up the candle and looked at the photo behind the candle. The dean came and spoke about the issues about peer pressure and what could change the person’s character by being in peer pressure. I was getting frustrated because no one was understanding the pain one goes through these days due to this peer pressure. Everybody just wants to talk but no one wants to know about the actual crime.

Rohan saw Madhuri’s friends and they were indeed crying. Then came on stage Madhuri’s Parents. Her mother came to the mic and was indeed angry and famished about her daughter’s death. She claimed the right thing, she was in stress and was sexually harassed not because they wanted for sexual pleasures but to show their machoism. Girl’s kept quiet because they didn’t want to spoil their name, there scare killed the girl. And she even blamed the staffs to believe and judging their characters for no use. What happened in the end? The girl died with multiple rapes that were diagnosed. Who would come to know that she was mentally tortured for months? No one would because its “I” which you care about not even your friends nor anyone. Everyone was silent and Madhuri’s friends cried a lot. Then Rohan stood up and said loudly, “I realize she didn’t give up her life.” Everyone looked behind and the guy beside him and also said the same. Slowly every student in the hall got up and said: “I realize she didn’t give up her life.” Madhuri’s friends also got up and smiled at her mother with tears in their eyes and nodding their heads. Madhuri’s mom now realized that now that “she” had become every girl, no one shall be judged. Leena said to her friends looking at the seat where Madhuri used to sit that “This is the moment where Madhuri deserved to clap”. So, they recollected that moment here were now beautiful Madhuri twinkling her eyes clapped for everyone.