The Girl in Green Sweater (An extract from "Gods & Ghosts of Himalayas")

I loved the way there was no sense of urgency that dark night. My uncle was retired. Aunt and mother also did not have to go anywhere in the morning. The stars were incredibly clear, and I was sitting alone on the long balcony viewing them. As the night wore on and more people turned out the lights, the star-like lights on the opposite hills started to disappear one by one, and the real ones in the sky kept getting brighter.

My ears, despite being covered by the thick woollen cap were now hurting with cold. I placed the hot chocolate cup against my ear allowing its gentle heat to pass through the wool. I felt the blood thawing in my ear. In that moment, when I was enjoying the heavenly warmth of the chocolate milk with my eyes closed, I heard a mischievous chuckle.

I shook out of my chair and opened my eyes. A girl was sitting next to me in a chair. I had no idea when she came to the balcony, and even if there was another chair placed beside me. She must have come from the other rooms in the building, as it was a long balcony shared by many rooms. She was wearing a cream-coloured suit and a green round-neck sweater. There was no dupatta, no cap, no gloves, or shoes even. It was crazy to dress like this for such weather. But she seemed very comfortable. She was perhaps a local who was adjusted to the climate.

‘Hello,’ I said. Now thinking of how funny it must have been for her, to see me placing the cup on my ear like I was trying to listen to the cup.

‘Feeling cold eh,’ she said, in a silvery, incredibly lovely voice. The smile never left her face.

‘Yes, it is chilly,’ I nodded, my breath forming a faint mist in the frigid night.

‘Then why are you sitting here?’

‘I like it here. The view, the silence—it feels amazing, very peaceful. It is something I do not often experience in the city’ I said, with a shy smile on my lips, like it was some guilty pleasure.

An extract from "Gods & Ghosts of Himalayas"  read more at https://amzn.in/d/gYrpmNH

 

Is India a free country?

65 years ago we got independence from British, and it was declared to the world that we are a free and independent country. We now had right to make our laws, make a constitution and follow it to our own sweet will.

But are we actually free in the true sense of the word? All of us are used to the instructions like do not stay outside for long, do not believe any stranger, keep a watch on your luggage and even children, and especially no women must ever do the unpardonable act of staying outside alone in the night, be it a village without electricity or be it the capital city of the country.

In this Delhi Gang-rape case, the fault(sarcasm) of girl was that she took a wrong bus, where the driver and other men on the bus picked them from a bus-stand only. This of course, is perhaps the cruelest act ever reported. The girl is still not out of Danger and we all are praying to god for her safety and good health.

Many debates are going on for deciding correct punishment for these offenders. I truly believe following should be the correct action.

1. The punishment must be severest of all, Especially for the offenders in Delhi gang rape case I strongly recommend chopping of both hands and legs, castration and "Rapist" marked on the forehead. This should be shown on media repeatedly.

2. The moral science should be more than a subject being taught in 1st and 2nd Standard, (Even Moral Science was discontinued from the syllabus about 10-12 years ago, has been reintroduced 3-4 years back only) it has to be brought up on more elaborate and higher platform, plus, all parents along with the safety instructions also teach their sons to respect women.

What I want to emphasize is that we can call ourselves free only if our women can walk at any time during the day or night without any fear anywhere in whole country. I once again pray to god to save the victim girl and give her a good health.

Yours sincerely

Saurabh