It's been two years! Long enough to get fed up with any non sense. So when I saw fumes rising from Maitri Cafeteria's Chai outlet, I walked up to the source of those fumes- cigarrette fumes.
The are was full of people. So many faces. So many languages. And standing in the midst of all those, the smoker is enjoying her cigarrette and a warm cup of tea. She must be 25, that's it. Young and healthy. But like many tragic hypoctitic academics, she also has put on a careless look carefully furnished using shabby, revealing clothes and a hopeless hairdo.
I walked up to the smoker and asked: "Hello, good evening. I have two questions for you." "Hello, hmm.. Ok, you can ask". "One- What's your name? Two- Don't you know that smoking is injurious to health, and smoking in public is lawfully prohibited and is against ethical and moral practices..." "Hei..."
She interrupted me. "What? Who do you think you are? The keeper of morals? Unappointed moral police on EFL campus? I will do whatever I want, wherever I want. I have the freedom..." Now, I interrupted. "Oh, I haven't finished my question. Do you mind listening to my question in its entirety?"
"No!", said she angrily and continued, "you think you can ask anyone any stupid question?"
I interrupted again, "I am sorry, since you are not ready to listen to my question, I am not ready to listen to you too. Bye"
I walked away.
One moment, and I stopped. My back was burning. I turned in astonishment. The smoker is standing with her empty cup of tea like a demoness, red with anger. The cup is emptied on my back, it burns. I couldn't but let out a loud cry. But I controlled my pain, walked towards her. Now everyone around is looking at me and her. i walked past her into the tea stall. Ordered a cup of tea. When the vendor gave it to me, I took it and gave it to the fuming Smoker. Amazed or angry, looking like a fool, she took the tea from me. Realizing that she looked stupid, she threw the tea down, and it fell on my feet again!
I turned and looked at the crowd who witnessed the drama, took out my phone and called police.
Within 15 minutes, police was there. And when police came, the story changed its nature. They came straight to the heart of the crowd, where I and the crowd was standing. I introduced myself and said that I called them. "What is the problem", asked the inspector.
"Sir, this man has behaved rudely to me" hearing this, the inspector turned around to look at the one who said this. It was the smoker. Now she looked quite pitiable. She continued, "He abused me and talked vulgar to me. When I reacted, he insulted me again" With tears in her eyes, the girl said to the police.
I was shocked. The crowd wasn't shocked!
The inspector turned to me and said, "come, let us go to the station." He turned to the girl and said, "madam, when you get time, come to the station and give a written complaint. We will handle this."
"Won't I get a chance to speak sir, I called you. I was the one who needed help" I asked the inspector.
"It's a case involving women you rascal. You are the accused. You are responsible to prove your innocense." said the inspector.
"Give me one minute, Inspector, I want to address this crowd before i come with you please." i pleaded with him to which he agreed.
I looked around. There were around 100 people who have gathered to see the drama. The girl's jhola bearing friends were all in jubilant mood by now. Some were about to leave, seeing the conclusion of the drama.
I stood on top of a chair and said, "my dear friends, you have witnessed what happened here. I am hurt and am am extremely sad for us the 'crowd' of EFLU than for that girl who has accused me of un-gentlemanly behaviour. I have asked her only two questions. what is your name and why does she smoke in public. she didnt even allow me to complete my question. So I walked away. Why should I listen to her if she is not ready to listen to me? You saw how she threw a hot cup of tea over my back. You saw it. I bought her another cup of tea for the one she lost. She threw it on my leg. You all saw it. I am not sad for her. I am sad for us, the 'crowd' of EFLU. We saw all this. We kept quiet. I was treated like this since I decided to end my silence and ask one person why she smoked at such young age in public place, which is against law. I was assaulted. Just for asking an innocent question with the intention of goodness, I was assaulted. Not just assaulted, I am not branded as an indecent man. She accused me of vulgar talk with her. I believe this is what freedom of women means on our campus. Ans I pity the proponents of this kind of feminism."
The crowd was standing there. no movements. I knew I had to go. So I concluded. "My friends, know this. If this woman's accusation proves right to the eyes of the law, I am not going to say one word against it. If I am convicted for what I am accused of, YOU all will know what was right and what has fallen. That will be the fall of freedom and the remaining morals in this already fallen University. I am going. Thank you for listening."
I turned to the girl and said, "Thanks a lot, " and walked away with the police to their jeep.
There was silence. I hope that was silence before a storm.
The are was full of people. So many faces. So many languages. And standing in the midst of all those, the smoker is enjoying her cigarrette and a warm cup of tea. She must be 25, that's it. Young and healthy. But like many tragic hypoctitic academics, she also has put on a careless look carefully furnished using shabby, revealing clothes and a hopeless hairdo.
I walked up to the smoker and asked: "Hello, good evening. I have two questions for you." "Hello, hmm.. Ok, you can ask". "One- What's your name? Two- Don't you know that smoking is injurious to health, and smoking in public is lawfully prohibited and is against ethical and moral practices..." "Hei..."
She interrupted me. "What? Who do you think you are? The keeper of morals? Unappointed moral police on EFL campus? I will do whatever I want, wherever I want. I have the freedom..." Now, I interrupted. "Oh, I haven't finished my question. Do you mind listening to my question in its entirety?"
"No!", said she angrily and continued, "you think you can ask anyone any stupid question?"
I interrupted again, "I am sorry, since you are not ready to listen to my question, I am not ready to listen to you too. Bye"
I walked away.
One moment, and I stopped. My back was burning. I turned in astonishment. The smoker is standing with her empty cup of tea like a demoness, red with anger. The cup is emptied on my back, it burns. I couldn't but let out a loud cry. But I controlled my pain, walked towards her. Now everyone around is looking at me and her. i walked past her into the tea stall. Ordered a cup of tea. When the vendor gave it to me, I took it and gave it to the fuming Smoker. Amazed or angry, looking like a fool, she took the tea from me. Realizing that she looked stupid, she threw the tea down, and it fell on my feet again!
I turned and looked at the crowd who witnessed the drama, took out my phone and called police.
Within 15 minutes, police was there. And when police came, the story changed its nature. They came straight to the heart of the crowd, where I and the crowd was standing. I introduced myself and said that I called them. "What is the problem", asked the inspector.
"Sir, this man has behaved rudely to me" hearing this, the inspector turned around to look at the one who said this. It was the smoker. Now she looked quite pitiable. She continued, "He abused me and talked vulgar to me. When I reacted, he insulted me again" With tears in her eyes, the girl said to the police.
I was shocked. The crowd wasn't shocked!
The inspector turned to me and said, "come, let us go to the station." He turned to the girl and said, "madam, when you get time, come to the station and give a written complaint. We will handle this."
"Won't I get a chance to speak sir, I called you. I was the one who needed help" I asked the inspector.
"It's a case involving women you rascal. You are the accused. You are responsible to prove your innocense." said the inspector.
"Give me one minute, Inspector, I want to address this crowd before i come with you please." i pleaded with him to which he agreed.
I looked around. There were around 100 people who have gathered to see the drama. The girl's jhola bearing friends were all in jubilant mood by now. Some were about to leave, seeing the conclusion of the drama.
I stood on top of a chair and said, "my dear friends, you have witnessed what happened here. I am hurt and am am extremely sad for us the 'crowd' of EFLU than for that girl who has accused me of un-gentlemanly behaviour. I have asked her only two questions. what is your name and why does she smoke in public. she didnt even allow me to complete my question. So I walked away. Why should I listen to her if she is not ready to listen to me? You saw how she threw a hot cup of tea over my back. You saw it. I bought her another cup of tea for the one she lost. She threw it on my leg. You all saw it. I am not sad for her. I am sad for us, the 'crowd' of EFLU. We saw all this. We kept quiet. I was treated like this since I decided to end my silence and ask one person why she smoked at such young age in public place, which is against law. I was assaulted. Just for asking an innocent question with the intention of goodness, I was assaulted. Not just assaulted, I am not branded as an indecent man. She accused me of vulgar talk with her. I believe this is what freedom of women means on our campus. Ans I pity the proponents of this kind of feminism."
The crowd was standing there. no movements. I knew I had to go. So I concluded. "My friends, know this. If this woman's accusation proves right to the eyes of the law, I am not going to say one word against it. If I am convicted for what I am accused of, YOU all will know what was right and what has fallen. That will be the fall of freedom and the remaining morals in this already fallen University. I am going. Thank you for listening."
I turned to the girl and said, "Thanks a lot, " and walked away with the police to their jeep.
There was silence. I hope that was silence before a storm.
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