Mightier than Sword
I picked up a pen from a stack near the checkout counter at shopping mart. I had already bought a box full of pens and pencils but being obsessed with pens, I added that one to my cart. My school vacations were about to get over and I was done buying all the stationery items for the next term. After paying the bill I headed to the parking lot. I noticed a man who was ogling at me in the parking lot. Ignoring him, I turned on my scooty and started off for my home. After a while, I saw him in the rearview mirror following me. It was about 9 pm and not many people were on the road. He accelerated and drove by my side for some time. I tried to overtake him but two wards before my home, he blocked my way on a deserted street. Trying to dodge him, I lost my control and I slipped down. My phone fell off far away from me. He was drooling with filth and sleaze. He then tried to grope me and push me back to the ground. I managed to grab a stone nearby me and hit him on his forehead making him bleed rapidly. I got up to my feet and gave a hard kick to his crotch. Holding his head with one hand and his crotch with another, he fell down. A quick flashback of every article I had read about molestation came to my mind. I could’ve noted down the number on his bike and then the police would’ve noted an FIR. Newspapers and social media would’ve written articles on molestation, this time me being the victim and also on how it should be and could be stopped. I wanted to prove that a pen is actually mightier than the sword and that I could do much more with a pen. I loathed his eyes that were ogling at me earlier and that had ogled at umpteen number of women. I decided to poke him harshly in one of his eyes, to make him remember this for his lifetime. I fetched my pouch from the bag and decided which eye to poke. I could’ve chosen a sharp compass to do it but instead, I picked up a pen.
PURVANG JOSHI.