Our team had a session at a school led by Drishti, who gave her contact number to students after the workshop. After more than a month, she received a call from one of the girls in that class who wanted to tell her about an incident that happened. At that time, Drishti was in her hometown, so she passed on the case to me.
I was asked to visit the girl at her house. When I went to her house, I could feel her fear. She lived with her mother and her younger sister. When I visited her she was terribly scared and asked me “Drishti didi kahan hai?” I told her “mujhe unhone hi bheja hai.”
She then narrated the whole incident to me, how she was coming back from school with her sister when her cycle chain came off and a stranger offered them help. They could sense that the uncle was talking in a strange manner. Later, he started to force himself on them asking them to come along with him. The girls somehow denied it, however, the man still said “kal aap yahin isi time par fir aana, mai aapke liye chocolates launga and we will have fun”.
The girl was afraid that something might happen to her if she spoke up about it, their mother was scared too. I tried to convince them that it was safe. I even shared my own experience to make them feel homely. I called the child helpline number 1098 myself and reported the case on their behalf.
Police officers themselves visited the girl to learn more about the case. The girls’ school routes were then observed by police officers in civil uniforms and within weeks they identified the stranger who was responsible for this. The full details were not disclosed to us by the police but what I received was a call from the girl and what she said was the best gift of my life. She said “didi ab sab theek ho gaya hai, uss uncle ko bhi pakad liya hai” I could feel the relief in her voice and the surge of joy in me after I heard this. I feel all the more confident now and motivated to give sessions and help as many children as I can to make them feel safe and protected because that’s what every child deserves.