We live in a hypocritical society where people worship Maa Mahishasurmardini, the divine feminine slayer of the demons, but if a girl as much as tries to raise her voice against harassment of any sort, she is shamed and asked to shut up because ‘log kya kahenge?’ I have had my fair share of brushes with such cowardly naysayers and honestly, I don’t even care about their opinions anymore.
A couple of months ago, a security guard of our society tried to act smart around me. I posted about it on the society’s common WhatsApp forum, fully expecting to be criticized for it because such matters, as per our regressive societal norms, must be discussed in hushed tones. However, I was in for a pleasant surprise. A few forward thinking men who probably didn’t even know me by name or face came out strongly in my support.
The responses from Mr. Jain, the gentleman at the helm of the society’s security matters, were what impressed me the most. Unlike what I had anticipated, there was no shaming or moral policing. I wasn’t asked to forgive and forget, nor was I advised to adjust and live with it because, like a late politician very notoriously remarked ‘Boys will be boys’. A man of impeccable manners, Jain Uncle immediately took accountability and sincerely apologized for the glitch that had happened under his supervision. I could tell that his concern was genuine. Like a protective father figure, he stepped in and spoke up on my behalf, even though he could’ve easily shoved the matter under the rug. He also assured me that such an incident would never happen again, and I must say, he kept his word. The clampdown on the security guard happened at blitzkrieg speed and the matter was wrapped up in the span of a few hours.
I have never witnessed such flawless handling of a sensitive matter such as this ever in my life. Jain Uncle handled the matter perfectly, leaving no scope for me to complain. He made me feel heard, understood and most importantly, safe. I am convinced now that the security of our society is in the best possible hands. I hope more men follow in his footsteps.
