My friends and I were obsessed about getting our ears pierced. It was in fashion and considered very cool. Four or five of us girls went to a tattoo and piercing studio. We chose different designs, some got their ears pierced with a needle, some with a gunshot.

We came back to the hostel and were all la la about it. We snapped countless selfies and marveled at our fresh piercings. We ate dinner, did a lot of chit chat, and went to sleep.

In the middle of the night, there was a sharp pain in my ear. My ear was swollen and bleeding. The pain was intolerable.

In desperate need of easing my pain, I stepped outside the hostel to buy painkillers, hoping to find a pharmacy open 24/7. Our hostel was in the center of the market. Everyday essentials were easily available. One didn’t have to go far.

It was about 12 a.m. I was walking on the street and noticed that most of the shops were closed. I walked a little further. The streets were empty. Even the dogs were sleeping. There was dead silence.

In that dead silence, a flashing beam of a bike’s headlight fell on the road. It suddenly made me realize I was all alone on the street. It worried me. The accelerating sound of the bike behind me made me even more tense. There were two people on the bike.

As the bike approached me, I wanted to believe they were just normal people going home after work and hoped they wouldn’t disturb me. They quickly passed by me. I was so relieved. My body, stiff with fear, finally relaxed.

But after they passed me, they stopped their bike about 100 meters away, made a U-turn, and started coming back in my direction. My heartbeat rose. They parked their bike beside me and stared at me from head to toe in the worst way possible, as if I was a piece of meat they wanted to devour.

It terrified me. Not knowing what to do, I just started to run. They chased me on their bike, making me feel completely helpless. They stopped beside me again and mockingly asked, “Where are you running?”

They let me run and run and run while they enjoyed the chase.

I knew the streets very well. It occurred to me that reaching the main road would be safer. The main road was generally busy with many passing vehicles and people on the street. So, I ran for the main road with all the life left in me.

There was a policeman on the road. I thought, “This is it, now I’m safe,” and told him everything. He looked around and said, “Those guys aren’t here anymore, so you can go back to your place.” I thought he would offer more help, but he left.

I booked a cab to the hostel and was yet again with an unknown man. But this time, I reached back safely.

What was fun for those two guys on the bike became a nightmare for me. Their “fun” instilled fear so deep in my flesh. 

Now I fear every man I see. I fear auto and cab drivers, Blinkit and Zomato delivery guys, plumbers and electricians coming to my home. I even fear a man casually passing by on the street, even if he isn’t looking at me.