Eve-Teasing? (from my neighbors)

Its been a while since, I experienced eve-teasing. Mainly cos, I no longer use public transport systems and never use “walking” as the main means of transport, since 2.5 yrs. But ironically, now I have become its “prey” ever since my walking-exercise-regime has started. I chose, secluded, local routes, away from main road, which consist of houses on both sides, which don’t have compound walls. This creates an awkward interpersonal stare between the people who will be strolling in and around their wall-less-compounds and me, who walks panting, thru the same. 

 

As they found me regularly, yesterday 2 different (inquisitive)ppl  from 2 houses, asked me, “who I am” (which I hated to answer!!!). I wanted to change the route today, but I was not very sure, where the other route,(which seems to be going much deeply into the compounds) would take me. Cos if I get lost, then I may have to give them my whole biodata, and even my purpose of walking (which I have to lie), to the inhabitants.(Villagers, are very very inquisitive(not like city-dwellers!). They think its their right to know, who u r and why u r there).

 

Now there was this bunch of guys(18-22 yrs) permanently seated around a secluded corner. They always commented on me something, whenever I passed…but yesterday when I passed, they were asking each other “Who is this, wet-chicken??”. (Ok, my short-hair, looks cow-licked, just after bath!!)

 

Now, I was in a situation, that:

1)     I was alone, and a stranger there.

2)     The time was 7 pm and there were no street-lights.

3)     The local guys are supposed to be known for their “gundaism”.

4)     I didn’t know the local routes well.

5)     Above all, my mom had strictly warned me against this, which I conveniently didn’t care to obey.

 

I am/was never this “sati-savitri” type. At least not like the women we see in hindi daily soaps. I never put this “thali”/”mangalyasutra” or kumkum, (visible features of a married woman). I only had this wedding ring (which nobody noticed). 

 

Now today, naturally, I didn’t want to invite more comments from them. So I decided to give a try by putting on “married-woman-act”. I put this kumkum on my forehead and “thali” and went. And today when I passed, the comment was “How come she got married, within one day,yaar?”----but only after a very long silence. (may be they didn’t expect, this “act”. )

 

Any way that was better, I suppose…cos today one of the guys addressed me “chechi” , which means, elder sister, in malayalam.

Tomorrow, may be , things can turn  little more better, I hope!

 

Note: This act seems to change only young eve-teasers. The middle-aged, “starers” doesn’t care…they are continuing with their “clothe-piercing-stare”! I think , noisy, young eve-teasers are more cultured than those “silent-starers”!

 

See  this   on “The Hindu” (India's national daily) abt the above phenomenon in my god’s-own-country.