A personal story on harassment

It is an invisible cry inside victims’ minds, all their lives

The story is in the eyes of an on-looker, and not the victim. Just so, you gain an understanding of what you could do when you are an on-looker.

Stats are a click-away on google, but stats do not call for action until you do.

It was a busy weekday…

I was done for the day at my university — also I was a sophomore who was involved with many extra-curricular work, and often left the university late.

This day was no different!

I usually take the bus back home from university, because the buses usually aren’t much crowded when it is late, and a seat by the window was a nice fatigue-waiver as I would like to call it, with a mildly cold breeze.

Usually, it is two buses for me home, but the second bus tends to get crowded if they are not on schedule — something that happens too often.

A little worse than this,

Anyhow,

I was able to find a seat to the middle rows and sat, sadly, not by the window though. It did not take 5 minutes for the bus to be full of people headed towards their homes.

Here’s when I started to feel something was off..

I was seated and I was on my phone. I was browsing through my social media, involuntarily chuckling at memes — enjoying my ride to the best.

I wasn’t by the window seat — remember?

A woman close to her 40’s I assume, was standing a by the seat right in-front of me carrying a hand-bag. With the bus full of people, it was hard to notice any unusual movement.

Then it struck me,

There was a man who was standing right behind her, who seemed just around the same age, and decently dressed too — pressing himself against her.

I just lost it!

I have never been in this situation before!

I doubt I have ever been that panicked in my life. So many things ran down my mind at the same time….

I was wanted to stand up and slap the face off the man’s body, yell the hell out of him, get the bus to stop and getting the bus conductor to throw him out of the bus, and it is a long list of things I have never done to a human before.

Nothing much others did — no one else seem to notice, or probably never wanted make notice, but I was furious.

All the gush in emotions took me a mere 5 seconds.

I find myself to be a conservative and slightly introverted too, but the last few seconds had been draining me off.

I settled down first as I could not do much. I put my little effort, with all the anger, rage and disappointment I had, a stared right in his eyes, and guess what, I saw his face turned red in shame.

He was dressed well, and he would not have thought he would be noticed at the shameless act he was committing.

I gave the most dreadful stare I have given anyone in my life, and with my teeth-clashing, I shook my head signaling him to move away — immediately.

And, to my surprise he did!.

He walked to the front of the bus, and was standing helpless with a face covered with sheer shame.

The woman who was the victim showed immediate relief on her face, as soon as the man went past her. I assume she did not see me giving the man harassing her a stare, but at least for now she would be fine for the rest of her journey.

He got off one stop before I did, and he gave me one last look, but did I not feel victorious!

I felt so good, I was able to stand up for a woman harrassed in the public, inside a bus filled with both men and women.

I got off at my stop, and when I got off the seat I made sure the woman was seated on the same seat I was seated before.

Moral of the story:

Not just women, not just men, the world is full of people who live off harassing infants too. Let it be sexual, physical or any other form. It is not about what exactly should I do to stop the harassment, but doing something to stop the harassment.

About Author:

I am an Associate Business Analyst keeping baby-steps to pursue a career as a writer, all the while learning the basics and advanced techniques in writing — one day to achieve my dream.

My medium handle is Muad Arshad where you can find out articles I have written on random topics, life experiences and tech-based roles! — whoops

Reach me on twitter through @muad_0911 and on LinkedIn through Muad Arshad!