I was quite young when we visited Darjeeling, the famous hill
station in the north of West Bengal. I was with my parents and another family
of friends. Back then it was quieter and cleaner in Darjeeling. I was not more
than 8 or 10 year old. Yeah I was a kid.
When you visit this hill station a horse ride around the hill
is a ritual – like every person has to do it. I was a kid and super excited to
see the horses. Well they stink quite a lot.
My parents were enjoying a good sip of the Darjeeling tea at
a café in the central area when I went on my first long horse ride. These
horses are I guess trained to walk on that 2 inches space that you have between
the road and the slope downside. You will be feeling as if they are going to
jump down and push you towards your unplanned suicide.
There was this young boy, not more than 17-18 who was the
owner of the horse and was walking along the horse. I am not sure owner or care
taker or what, but he was now responsible of my wellbeing till I was back at
the center.
That guy kept speaking non-stop in Hindi (I wasn’t too fluent
in Hindi back then). About his family, his house, his horse and god knows what
not. When he had asked me my name and where I was coming from I had told him
without thinking anything. I don’t know why he wanted this horse ride walk
not to end at all!
I on the other hand was worried on two things first the horse
was may be half a centimeter away from the slope and this guy walking by the
horse was getting on my nerves and I was not getting any good feeling.
This is when he said – “bhag chalo mere saath… I will make you
my queen” (Run away with me, I’ll make you my queen).
This was the moment of shock, surprise, and terror all at
once. And I was a kid.
The only thing ran in my mind was – I have no idea where I
am, there’s no one around, and this isn’t something good. That sixth sense of a
girl was inside me quite early I guess.
I thought, the best thing I could do that time was not
respond to him at all. And guess what I did, I started singing. I sang our
school assembly song loud and clear!! I had no idea what else I could do. He
kept on saying weird things but my ears were not party to them at all.
All I wanted was to get back to the central area and away
from this mad man.
And I did, in another 15 minutes I guess and simply ran
towards my mother. But I don’t know why I never told this to my parents. In
fact I have never told this to anyone! But this isn’t a happy memory for me
somehow!
Have you ever faced such a situation when you are
uncomfortable with someone’s presence or advances?