Women are feeling increasingly unsafe in their own home — on the roads, in public transport and even on trains. Many are forced to live within the confines of four walls lest they are harassed by the men lurking at large. Several victims relive the horror and embarrassment with Shuchismita Chakraborty and Shambhavi Singh

I am a 17-year-old resident of Kankerbagh

I study in Class XII and am also preparing for my medical entrance exams. But till now, I have had to change my tuitions classes four times. A group of boys living near my hostel has been stalking me for at least four months. The administration has formed laws but they are not bothered about their proper implementation. Should I carry a printout of the law book when I leave home for tuitions?

I have warned the boys stalking me several times but if I get too aggressive with him, that could also be harmful for me. Last Saturday when I booed them away, instead of leaving, they took advantage of the deserted road. They held me tightly and threatened to harm me.

I am a 21-year-old resident of Boring Road

I find Ashok Rajpath near my college to be one of the most insecure places in the city for girls. I have stopped going to college after September 12 last year. I was getting late for home from college and decided to take a short cut to the main road. When I reached the connecting road from Ashok Rajpath to Boring Road, I found a few boys standing at the corner. Seeing me, they started passing lewd comments but I ignored them and kept walking.

Watching me walk away, they suddenly came in my way. In spite of my continuous protests, they started to pinch my private parts and forcefully kissed me. I was harassed for more than 10 minutes till a rickshawpuller saw the group around me, stopped them and started shouting for help. People soon gathered around but before the boys could be taken to the nearest police station, they ran away. The rickshaw puller took me to the main road.

I am an 18-year-old resident of Ashok Rajpath

I do not want to reveal my course in college because I fear I might be in more trouble after that. I had a project due on one Monday. Around 6pm one Sunday, I noticed that I did not have adequate glue or papers. I took permission from my hostel warden to go to the market and buy some. The market was quite deserted but I did my work and was coming back when three senior boys from my college stopped me and started asking my whereabouts. I desisted and I was the prey.

They started pinching me and passed bawdy and smutty comments. I pleaded with them to let me go but they continued to assault me for more than 15 minutes. The condition worsened when a shopkeeper joined them. They threatened me to keep silent or else tell everyone what they did to me. It has been five months since then. I just attend some classes to maintain the 75 per cent attendance. I request my roommates to get daily items for me. I do not want to be assaulted again.

I am a 23-year-old resident of Bakarganj

Last month, I went to Boring Canal Road with my sister’s friend for some work. On our way to catch an autorickshaw from Boring Road roundabout, a few metres away, we realised two boys were following us on a bike. We changed our plan to chat a little and immediately took an auto. But to our surprise, one of the boys sat next to me in the autorickshaw and soon started to disturb me. He brushed his elbow against my private parts, making me uncomfortable. The second time he did so, I raised my voice and asked the autorickshaw driver to stop and let us alight.

I am a 30-year-old resident of Patliputra Colony

I took an AC 2-tier berth for my journey from Patna Junction to Katihar. The train was late and had reached the station at 1am. I reached my berth and decided to sleep.

I had almost gone to sleep when I felt my left foot twitch. Later, I felt somebody touching my hair. I knew something was wrong and pretended to sleep. I opened my eyes slightly and found an elderly person was doing all those things to me. When I started to shout at him, the shameless man smiled and left. We are not even safe from people with greying hair, and that too in an AC compartment considered to be safer than other coaches.

I am a 16-year-old resident of Boring Road

I live in a hostel and take coaching for bank examinations. Four months ago, one of my batch mates started following me after coaching class.

He used to pass lewd comments at me and even threatened to throw acid on me if I didn’t marry him. It was my fault that I kept mum and quietly wept at my hostel.

One day my roommate saw me crying and I told her everything. The next day she went to my coaching class and told the director about the boy. She warned him if he didn’t take action, she would. The director must have done something because after that day, he never followed me.