DAWN I FAIL TO VISUALIZE

2015, Feb 4: The 28-year-old woman's body was found on February 4 in a field near a highway.... Many key organs were missing from body. Sticks, stones, blades and condoms had been stuffed into her private parts.... two stones were inserted into the slain woman's anus. Her face was eaten by animals; her heart and lungs and heart were found missing. Also her skull had fractures and there were deep injury marks on her thighs and chest...  There was a 16cm long and 4cm wide stick-like article in her vagina. We presume that a longer stick was used and it may have broken inside her. We also found a number of condoms in her vagina

2012, Dec 16: A 23-year-old Indian student has been allegedly gang-raped inside a bus in the capital... She has intestinal damage after being repeatedly hit with a blunt object on her abdomen, and doctors say the extent of genital damage indicates that a blunt object was also probably shoved up her private parts.... According to reports, one of the accused men admitted to having seen a rope-like object, assumed to be her intestines, being pulled out of the woman by the other assailants on the bus.

If that's not enough, read below:

2013, Jun 16: A five-year-old girl was brutally raped and then abandoned near a metro station in Gurgaon... She had blood and mud all over her. She was in a terrible state,..

2014, Oct 22: Toddler raped in Bangalore school

2015, Jan 31: A three-year-old girl was allegedly raped and found unconscious in naked condition hanging upside down from a tree...

Sometime in 2013: a five-year-old girl was sexually assaulted in Gandhi Nagar area of East Delhi several times by her neighbor who abducted and kept her hostage inside his flat for four days... she was violated with pieces of a candle and a 200ml bottle... The young girl's genital area was so damaged by the two monsters who raped her that she needed extensive reconstructive surgery.

They say that "The Darkest Hour Of The Night Is Just Before The Dawn".

For the nation which boasts about women empowerment on eac and every possible platform - Election manifestos, textbooks, magazines, newspapers, debates and even the Republic Day celebrations which were witnessed all over the world this year, the dawn does not seem nearer anywhere. Our honorable Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi did tried his best by making sure that the females were leading almost sections of parade. All television and radio channels keep shouting about 'Beti Bachao Abhiyaan' (Save Girl Child Campaign). But the question which comes to every parent is - "What world are we giving our daughters birth into?" When I was expecting with my son, my brother in law once blurted out - "It should not be a girl or we would have a 24*7 job of just guarding her.". His statement actually made everyone think.

Some say it's just another day in North India. I say it's just another day in world. We can call these men monsters or anything, but nothing has changed. We protest for some days and then get back to our work.

The mother of brave heart Nirbhaya asks - Why do we wait for a big incident before we react to violence? Why we are content with just 10 days of outrage each time a rape is reported? Why don’t we insist that the system changes?

Delhi high court gave out the fast track conviction of crime against women. Again, there is only question, no answer - How many cases have gone through fast-track? How many accused were convicted? Even the accused that brought this are still alive filling petition after petitions. No doubt, Law is blind.

The police say on recent mentally challenged victim - "Criminals who were involved in similar cases before are also being questioned." Criminals involved in similar cases are still alive and out!!!

Thus summarized and end any conversation/debate we can ever have on so called WOMEN EMPOWERMENT.

Some comment on a news page grabbed my attention. The person said - Women empowerment seemed to be just a passing point in elections. Does anyone know what woman empowerment means? it means that women like men can walk around without fear, have opportunities...but in a country like ours, women are scared or angry all the time, scared at what might happen, angry at what happens....oh god such a curse being born in this goddamn country. It is no country for women.

Sometimes, below video makes me nod and say - "Yes it's my fault."

I am all lost and terrified in search of all answers. I read an amazing blogpost - "Making Molestor” some time back which justified the behavior of men/boys/monsters to some extent. Then, there is Madhuri Dixit Nene pleading to teach our boys to behave like a girl.

I have colleagues who joke about Women Day. Some of them even complain about unnecessary importance and advantages given to women. Then, they themselves give the answer. They see a woman smoking and points out - "Look, the girl is blowing smoke". They shut themselves with my answer - "Why her? Have you ever pointed me a boy smoking or littering on road?".

I fear that I would not be alive to see the DAWN for women in this world where the DARKEST HOUR is ruling for ages.

What comes to your mind with reference to WOMEN EMPOWERMENT?

I am sorry Tanishq, to link this post this under your beautiful prompt. But then, I could not stop my fingers ramming on the keyboard. At-least I refrain myself from submitting under the same!

Written in response to Indispire Topic - "The Darkest Hour Of The Night Is Just Before The Dawn", Write an original story based on this statement