Impact

I had planned to leave from work around 6:30 PM but as usual things started accumulating at the brink. It had just drizzled heavily and rain water had stagnated in the roads ends. I walked criss-cross, avoiding the puddles, very cautiously.

Suddenly, there was a heavy vehicle on high beam light which blinded my view. I closed my eyes and stood there like a statue. The vehicle turned around the corner in full speed and splashed the stagnated water over me. The vehicle raced off before I could even settle.

I looked at myself – wet, dirty and ugly. I decided to go home rather than to stay back and get myself cleaned. I walked to the bus stop which was close by, in utter discomfort. But more uneasiness was awaiting me.

The people in the bus stop looked down at me. The young girls giggled. The guys and boys ogled. The other just stared. They scanned me as though I had just evolved out of garbage. I had no choice except to pick the first auto and rush home.

Having survived the eyes of so many people, I had to struggle to fall asleep. In bed, I thought about people who had faced more intruding scanning - Rape Victims.

The amount of drama and trauma that they face is unimaginable. They undergo the extreme pain and discomfort - physically, mentally and socially. The society looks down at them like untouchables. They are no longer considered eligible for a normal life. The media blows up the matter to such an extent that the victims won’t have anything called privacy. They find themselves absolutely examined and explained. Everything is in the news – how they face the situation to how deep or where the physical wounds are.

A few questions popped up then.

- Why are the people who face the situation the center of attraction?
- Aren't the culprits supposed to be treated so?
- Is it the victim's fault always?
- Is there a necessity for such a dramatization?
- Are the people acting responsible?

And most important of all,
Is the incident causing them pain or the dramatization?
If the answer is both, which has higher impact?