The Blame

“How can one person be so damn beautiful?” He asked her rhetorically and smiled. He was looking at her, mesmerized with the fascination she always sustained on her face. Her proximity often took his breath away. Her mere presence, made him feel ecstatic. Her fragrance and the splendour of her eyes tuned his existence to some mystical music. His soul romanced and danced in joy. Somewhere he hoped that the silence of his eyes and the beats of his heart could deliver to her how he felt for her. She was a thought he wished to think always. Some part of him was inseparably entwined with hers in a bonding that couldn't be described. She was looking back at him with a mention of blush in her expression. She smiled.

“The only reason I am beautiful is because you love me.” She said. She slipped her hand into his and curled up her fingers around the back of his hand. There was something about her touch that always let, what he called “her-waves” travel down his body. He braced his grip on her hands to let her feel his intimate emotions that flooded inside him. She felt complete when his emotions were conveyed to her in such a passionate manner. She was happy to be married with a guy who loved her infinitely and cared for every little emotion of her deliberately. They walked further upon the soft meadow of their backyard.

After the walk they returned to their bedroom. She switched on the TV while he was preparing a PowerPoint presentation on his laptop. She put on some random news channel and approached him. “Baby, tomorrow’s Sunday!” she said to him keenly. “Thanks for the update.” He responded in a witty manner. She smiled and this was the kind of smile that always messed up with his emotional self and made him fall for her every single time. He understood what she was trying to convey to him via that smile. “Dear Angel, may I have the audacity to ask you to come along with me on a date?” he asked. “Yes sure. I am all yours. You may take me anywhere you desire to.” She replied and hugged him the very next moment. In his ears she spoke, “I love you.” He adjusted her hair behind her left ear and said, “I know that.”

She was still embracing him when her eyes wedged the sight of the news highlights flashing on the television screen. As she reached out for the remote control their bodies segregated. She upturned the volume. The reporter was giving out an update on a rape case that had chanced about nine months ago. It was considerably the most devastating rape case that this country had ever faced. The rapists not only had raped the girl but had also physically injured her in the most disturbing manner possible. Only a few days after the rape had happened there was a wave of social awakening spread all across the country. The news spread like wildfire and swayed people to come out of their houses for a cause.  There were candle-lit marches held by people all across the country, there were protests focussing on the agenda of women safety in the country and sentencing the convicted to be punished under the law. It was a massive movement of a country as a whole.

The four remaining adult defendants were found guilty of rape and murder and are sentenced to death by hanging. - Spoke up the reporter. “Oh, finally the judiciary is putting the girl’s soul to justice.” She said. “These guys deserved the most painful death imaginable!” He exclaimed. “Yes! I wonder what the girl’s fault was. She did not go and dance naked in front of those guys to provoke them to rape her with such hostility.” She said in an annoying tone. “The girl was returning from a movie with a friend of hers. It is a girl’s choice to go to any place and moreover it was not even more than 9 in the evening.” She said. There was a certain resentment in the way she was talking. He nodded his head in agreement. “What?” she asked, her volume raised. “No I mean, yes those guys and their thinking must have been pathetic to commit such a monstrous crime.” He said. She adjusted her skirt to raise her legs and crossed them to sit comfortably on the bed. “Hey I need to ask you something!” she said to him. “Yes ask.” He said. “Do you men always have sex on your mind?” she asked. “No.” He replied with a grin spread across his lips. “But at this moment I do want to make love to you.” He said. He shifted his body towards her and kept his hands on her shoulders. She lowered her eyelashes and smiled. He reached out to the switchboard alongside the bed and turned the lights off.

It was a beautiful morning the next day. “Baby how do I look?” she asked him, her hands resting on her waist. She was wearing a red coloured floral print frock that ended just above her knees. Her hair, untied and on one side of her head added to her magnificence. Almost fifteen seconds had passed away while he was still looking at her with his jaw dropped to the ground. “You are looking splendid.” He replied in excitement. She felt overjoyed. He continued, “I can’t stop looking at you right now. And your eyes. You have the most amazing eyes I have ever seen. You are looking very pretty. That dress looks amazing on you.” “Thank you!” she almost sang it in excitement. “You are looking very handsome as well sweetie!” she said in a whiny tone. She proceeded towards her cupboard to get herself a pair of matching bellies. Amongst all the praising somewhere deep within he felt that he wanted to say something to her.

“Hey babe!” he called out to her. “Yes.” She replied, turning towards him. She was sitting down on a bean bag trying to fit her legs into the bellies. He walked up to her and pointed towards her bosom. “What?” she asked wondering what he meant. “Don’t you think they are exposed too much for a place where there will be other men as well?” he asked. The neck of her dress was not too deep but deep enough to let the upper part of her bosom peep out of it but it wasn’t with any hint of obscenity. She looked cute. “What?” she spoke up startled with his weird question. “See I am not against showing a little part of your cleavage. It’s not wrong to wear what you think makes you look good. I know it’s sexy but then you have to understand that there are some pervert men out there whose attention diverts to such attires. And trust me you would never want to face these men alone in a piece of clothing which arouses them. Are you getting me?” he finished with a question. She did not utter a single word and was staring right at his face. She had already dropped the bellies on the ground while he was still speaking. Her face was struck with a wave of bewilderment and her eyes were wide open. There was an awkward silence that filled the entire room.

“What are you talking about!” she bawled. “I am wearing a decent dress and its neck is in fashion nowadays. And by the way we will be in the car all day driving across the nearby cities and by the evening we will be in a five star restaurant. So you see I am not wearing this dress to a place like a fish-market. I have lived in this country for almost as long as you have been and I am in a good understanding of a girl’s decorum.” She continued. “Rapists do not come with cautionary signs dear. Moreover a dress that exposes your legs and your bosoms can be a major pull for them anyway.” He said. It was obdurate of him to say things like these to her, she thought. She was baffled seeing this side of her husband. “I don’t understand from where is the topic of rape and rapists coming up?” she asked. “Of course your dress gave birth to it.” He replied.

The moment was heating up in a negative manner. She was getting furious. “Are you in your senses?” she asked, infuriated with his talks. “Why will I be raped for wearing a decent dress while going out with my husband? Also I am not walking down a deserted street after sunset or flaunting my body parts to some random weird looking perverts.” She said. Her voice was raised beyond a level of compassion. “I am not trying to cart off your liberty but all I am saying is that why you can’t avoid wearing dresses which include publicity of your body parts! The men who are not used to look at women this way might get provoked and rape you.” He said. “Are you out of your mind?” she nearly yelled. Before he could open up his mouth to talk further she started talking. “Mister! First of all rapists don’t rape a women due to the kind of dress she wears. Because if this was the case then may be my male friends with whom I party would have raped me by now.” She said. “Err…” he was about to say something but she cut him and continued. “The thought to rape a woman is a disease that originates in the minds of depraved men themselves. If a man can be sick enough to rape a woman to satisfy his libido then trust me, he might rape an old lady wearing a saree, as well. It has got nothing to do with what a woman wears but what a man thinks. And some men are pathetic to such an extent that they can be more horrible than the Satan himself.” She finished. She was mad at him.

“You know what! Keep arguing over this with me instead of trying to understand what I am trying to say.” He said, exasperated with her responses. “Actually I have very well understood whatever you meant to say and I wonder how a person well-educated like you are, can talk utter rubbish like this. Now I don’t want you to say anything more. Plus I am not going out with you anywhere now.” She said, picking up the bellies she had dropped a few instants ago. He watched her placing her bellies back into the wardrobe. He walked up to her and said, “Listen baby, we don’t need to spoil our date. Let’s go. Wear whatever you like.” “Shut up! I am not going and that’s my final word. Now if you will just let me change?” she almost fired her words at him.

They did not go on a date nor did they talk to each other for the entire day. She was still annoyed about the conversation they had in the morning. After having a conversation-less dinner they both went to their bedroom to doze off. He was preparing the final slides of his presentation when he saw her stepping out of the washroom. She was wearing a full length pyjama and a full sleeved shirt buttoned up to her neck. He looked at her with a “whatever” gaze and continued to work. She too did not start any sort of talk and went to sleep.

His presentation was a success. The board of directors loved it and he received a candid appreciation from them as well. He was pleased about it. His office was a kilometre away from the nearest metro station so he had to take a walk. It was seven in the evening and the sky was losing the sunlight. He was thinking about the fight he had with his wife the previous day. Some men are filthy in their thoughts and actions but then the filthiness of these men is brought out by the skimpy dresses women wear. Rapes can be avoided by wearing dresses suiting the atmosphere you are going to be in. But if you are putting your body on showcase then you are actually inviting the rapist to feast upon you - he thought. His thought was interrupted by an agonising shout from the alley right across the street. It seemed to be a female voice to him. He clogged right there and looked around. The street was deserted. A pink coloured bike with a basket was lying on the ground and near it was a bag. He walked up to the bike and picked up the bag. There was a Barbie printed on it. It was dark in the alley. He took his phone out while walking in and switched on the flash.

What he saw, swept the ground from beneath him. There was a man almost his age who had restrained down a girl not older than ten years, on ground and his hands were caressing the girl’s thigh. He was taken aback. His eyes almost popped out in astonishment and blood flushed to his face raging him. The man released the girl from his clutch as soon as the light bathed him. “Leave the girl right now or I will chop your head off your body!” he screamed at the top of his voice running towards them. The man stood up and climbed over the fence at the end of the alley and ran away before he could get there. The girl was crying. He looked through the fence but the man had vanished into the darkness.

“Please don't behave the same way the bad uncle was behaving” she said in a terrified tone. “I want to go home.” She spoke up again. He was going to caress the girl’s head but he decided not to touch the girl after what had happened because by doing so he might scare the girl.  “Are you okay? You are not hurt right?” he asked her. “Yes uncle I am not hurt!” she replied sobbing. They walked out of the alley into the street and he picked up her bike and held up her bag. “Give me your parents’ number and let me call them.” He said to the girl. She had hanged the bag on her shoulders and was adjusting herself on her bike. “I don't remember the number.” The girl said. “No problem. Can I convoy you to your home?” he asked the girl. The girl looked at him wondering if he would do something nasty with her as well. But then all of a sudden the girl smiled and nodded her head upside down. He smiled back. “Where were you headed off alone?” he asked. “I was returning from my coaching, uncle. Today my best friend had a bad throat so I had to be alone.” She replied. She got off the bike and started walking with him, dragging her bike along. “Where is your home, beta?” he asked her. “It's two blocks away from here.” She replied. “Next time don’t go home by this route. It’s deserted here and bad people live here. Always go by the main road where there are good people. Remember it the next time you go to your coaching. Okay?” he said.

“How old are you?” he asked. “I am eleven years old.” She replied, smiling. “Uncle, why did the bad uncle touch me on the wee-wee?” the girl asked him. His heart skipped a beat listening to what the girl finished asking. He felt embarrassed and anger fumed within him at the same time. He wanted to kill that man that very instant. How could a man be so filthy to do something as sinful as that to an eleven year old? - He thought. He could not think of an explanation to the innocent question of the little girl. “The bad uncle wanted to hurt you. He always hurts good children like you. Do tell your momma about what happened today and never ever let anyone touch you on your wee-wee!” he said. “Okay!” she said and they walked further.

He was sitting in the metro and thinking about the girl he had dropped off at her home a few minutes ago. He was furious with the possibility of a man’s thirst for sexual pleasures. He could not envision, even in his worst nightmare what he had seen today. How could anyone even think of doing such a monstrous act with a little girl? - He thought and shuddered. He recalled the girl’s innocent face and felt abysmal about what he saw the man doing with her. It was upsetting. Tears rolled down from his eyes.

It was eleven in the night and he and his wife were about to sleep. He hadn’t talked to her yet thinking about the appalling incident. He turned towards her and kept his hands on her shoulder. She removed his hands. She heard him sobbing and turned towards him. It was dark. She moved her hands all over his face and felt his eyes. They were wet. Forgetting whatever had happened amongst them she worriedly asked him, “What happened baby?” He sobbed again and slid his hands into hers. She held his hands firmly in response. “I am sorry! Sorry about the way I talked to you yesterday. Sorry about the things I said. Sorry about the thoughts my words expressed. I was wrong.” He said. She wiped off his tears and held him closely. “It’s okay.” She said and hugged him tight.