We are startled, shocked, sickened when rape takes place.
We shout for resignations.
We have candlelight vigils.
We ask our daughters and sisters to come home early.
And as photos of the rapists appear in newspapers and on TV we look at them in revulsion and loathing:
“Why do you look at me like that?”
“You are a rapist!”
“You sir are as much a rapist as I am! I raped once, whereas you rape our country every day! Like I filmed my act on camera, I have filmed your rapes in my mind. Here let me show you!”
“Who is that? What is he doing?”
“That is you sir! And I guess you do recognize what you are doing?”
“B..bbut when did you film this? Have you shown it to anyone?”
“Not yet, but I may sooner or later along with the other videos!”
“You film rape scenes?”
“That’s what the newspapers said, didn’t they?”
“But this one of me?”
“Do you recognize the victim?”
“It is she, my country!”
“Don’t worry you are not the only one raping our country. Here are videos of thousands of our country men and women doing the same!”
“This is terrible.” I whispered, “Here’s me bribing a policeman, here’s a municipal engineer encroaching on his housing society property, here is somebody spreading rumors about a good man, here are people trying to create a communal divide where there was goodness previously! “
“What difference is there between you and me?” said the rapist, “I have been caught! Soon a judge will pronounce his verdict and I will most probably hang from the gallows. Even as I hang from that rope there will be rejoicing from all you real rapists, who are getting away scot free! Raping your country day after day, till she is covered with the slime of corruption, the filth of dishonesty, wrapped under the false garb of religious hypocrisy. Look at your victim sir! Look at what you have made of her!”
I walked away, head bowed.
“Sir!” shouted a policeman running towards me, “The rapist told me to give you this. He said you might want to show it to the rest of the nation, the day he is hanged!”
I looked at the video the policeman held in his hand. “Is it a good film? Who is the hero sir” he asked.
“No heroes,” I said as I ran away in shame, “Only villains..!”
