Dearest moon! Smile please, say cheese

She looked at the candle lit group that seemed to be silently praying with closed eyes and bowed heads. It was very unlikely for the prayers of the silent crowd with agitated minds to reach God. To help the Soul rest in peace. The soul of the victim. The soul of the one molested. Probably not one but many who were molested the very same day in her country. But this one was brutal enough to catch the media’s eye. She sighed looking away from the window as the bus whizzed past the gathering.

She closed her own eyes and prayed. Or rather wanted to pray. But was confused as to what and whom to pray for? Pray for all those innocent women or girls or worse the infants who are subject to molestation? Should she ask for justice? Should she pray to regain their innocence or undo the “feeling dirty” feel of their mind? She opened her eyes and gave away the praying part.

She saw the bus conductor unnecessarily rub a co-passenger’s breast as he waltz through the crowd. No medical tests could prove the conductor’s deed. It was not serious enough to be reported. Yet, she knew it would leave the “feeling dirty” feel on that co-passenger. She knew that “weird in the gut feeling”. The “Churning the stomach yet tongue-tied” feeling.

She knew that the candle lit group would go home and in sometime or days would forget the molested-beaten up-dead girl. The group that consisted of men and women, boys and girls. Few from the crowd would get back to their ogling and unnecessary rubbings and snide remarkings. Because that was no remarkable offence. According to them it was on lines with acknowledging the beauty of Taj-Mahal. 

By the age of 17, by the commencement of her youth, she knew that it was not her age or body to be blamed. She knew it was not the fault of the 9 yards cloth or 6 inches skirt. She knew it was not her or her co-passenger or the molested-beaten-dead girl’s fault. What she didn’t understand was, “Why don’t the grey haired politicians understand this?” She got down the bus and shut her mind to the oglings, whistlings and snide comments from someone dying to see the moon smile at him.