Who Is Reliable

This story is about Riya, she Is a fashion designer, a very bold and sophisticated. She was on her way back to her home, in a small town named manta in Himachal Pradesh. She was waiting for the bus and kept drifting to the thoughts of her past.

Some 3 years ago, one winter evening, Riya was on her way back to her home from the Institute. Her father would wait for her until she returned.

Her house in the middle of a forest, her father, Tikaram, was very worried about her. He always advised her to take the road and not the short route through forest as there were many wild animals on the loose that ventured out that could harm anyone.

He was sitting on the chair outside of the house. He could hear the sounds of animals howling and roaring. He kept walking around tensed about Riya. Hoping she didn't take the forest route. He kept talking to himself "She is young, maybe old enough to take care of herself but that doesn't mean she is more wiser than her parents"

I have told her time and again we live in a small town in a hill station. The sun sets early and the road leading inside the forest gets darker, letting all the animals roam. She could harm herself if she came in the way of any wild animal. Though she is home by 6 pm. It was already past 8 pm and she hadn't come home yet. He was worried about her.

His wife called him to eat dinner and told him "I had told you to get her admitted in a hostel, but you never listened to me. Now she won't listen to you also. She is getting out of control."

Riya would wake up by 6 in the morning. Would dress up quickly and head out to her Institute. She would walk almost 15 to 20 minutes until she reached the bus stop. It would take roughly an hour to reach the Institute.

But she never forgot her 3 chores. To prepare tea for her parents, feed the stray dogs, always say a Hello to the old lady who stayed next door whom she called her grandmother. Her father was very happy and proud of Riya and dreamed of a better future for her.

When she was late, used to inform him by the phone. But that day he didn't receive any phone call from her side. He was thinking that.

At that time...

Bell rang. Tikaram opened the door, after seeing Riya, he breathed deeply. But when he saw Riya injured, he got worried.

He asked Riya, what happened beta. Who wounded you was that cheetah or wolf, How many times had I told you, do not come from the way of the forest. Look what happened. The Tikaram's wife said, "Monkey would be the only, otherwise the tiger would have killed her."

He was more terrible than her, he was sitting in the car, Riya said.

That day she was late for leaving college, because there was a seminar, and the battery of the phone was also dead. So she was unable to inform her father.

She was telling, I was just coming off the road after leaving the bus from the stand. At that time a car was slowly coming behind me. And a man asked me to sit in the car, but I ignored his voice and I was walking fast. He caught me and he forced to try to put me in the car.

At that time, there, a dog came whom I used to give some food everyday. He attacked him.

That's why the man went back. The dog came with me to leave me to my house. Riya was crying.

Tikaram said, relax my child. Now you are at home.

He first aided her and said that now he would settled her in the hostel. Riya hugged him.

They ate the dinner and went to sleep. But she couldn't sleep that night. She remembered how the story of Nirbhaya had moved her and now she could feel what Nirbhya had gone through, how horrible night it had been! Riya thanked God and tried to sleep tucked in the warmth of her blanket.

Now three years later, Riya is going to her house.

But remembering that moment, she trembles.

I want to ask you..Who is reliable? Humans or animals.