Nirbhaya

She smiled at him
as she put her thumb up.
The bus stopped.
Laughing they got on.
Their smiles froze
as the curtains closed.
She is ripe
Let's have some fun,
The 6 pairs of eyes said.
12 hands reached out
to grope her.
To feel her.
To touch her.
To rape her.
6 monsters laughed
as the man tried,
cried to stop.
Hit him with a rod
they did,
as each took turns
with her instead.
Stop she cried
as they laughed
until they cried
and groped some more.
Laughing and joking
they put the rod in
deep, deep within her.
Bleeding and crying
they pleaded,
as six mouths
laughed their gut out
to see her gut spilling out.
Naked and bleeding
they threw them out.
Laughing and grinning
they moved on.
Naked and bleeding they lay there
as hundreds of eyes dodged them,
until pleading and bleeding
they were saved
to be probed and to be groped
again.
Describe to me what happened
they asked.
Your body is the site of crime
and i need to check they said.
You should have begged and pleaded they said
You should not have gone out they said
You should not worn this dress they said
You should not have studied they said
You should not have crossed the line they said
Why do you need to live they said.
Live I will she said .
Dream I will she said .
Fight I will she said.
Until I am dead, she said.
Go not unto the night they said
or you will end up like her they said.
Dead they said.
The city is aflame they said.
And the country stands by her instead.
As fools rant, and the monsters laugh
the torch is lit they said.
The fear is fading they said.
Your death shall not be in vain they said.

She smiled at him as she put her thumb up.
The bus stopped.
Laughing they got on.
Fear not
Six pairs of eyes said.
Safe, you are they said.
Thank you they said
when they got off the bus.
She smiled at them
as she put her thumb up.

- Srividya Srinivasan