Silent Screams (Part 5)

Sameer waited outside the operation theatre as Anandita was taken inside in a hurry. Sitting down, he remembered about the paper he had crumpled in a hurry. He finally took it out to read.  It read:

Who’s to blame?

You’re fat

You’re quiet

You wear glasses

Who’s to blame?

You don’t raise your voice

No one wants to talk to you

You are nowhere in the social food chain

Who’s to blame?

You’re scared

You’re nervous

You’re anxious

Who’s to blame?

You’re to blame

Girl,

You’re to blame.

Note: I wish I could change myself. Wish I could look better to fit the society. Wish I could act better to fit the society. I just wish everything was okay.

A shiver ran down his spine. Every line that she wrote had some pain attached to it. He felt guiltier, with every line that he read. He, somehow, felt partially responsible for this condition of hers. At this point, he wished that he wouldn’t have stood quietly by the side as his friends made fun of her. He wished he had taken this up to the higher authorities. As these thoughts were crossing through his mind, a tear slipped down his cheek.

Someone wiped the tear on his face. HE looked up to see Tanya standing there.”Where is she? Tanya asked. By the time, he could answer Anandita’s family came running towards the operation theatre. “What... has... happened.. to... to.... my daughter?” Anandita’s mother asked breathlessly. Sameer got her to sit down, offered a glass of water to her and narrated all that he had seen.