StorySpace - Hari

 

Usually we drag our feet to go to school. But Hari dragged his feet to go home. He hung around the school until security chased him out, then he would slowly make his way down the foot path towards the bus stop. Almost everyday he would miss his stop and have to get off at the next and walk through the cross roads that finally led him to his apartment complex. He hated being alone in his house.

Both his parents were working and reached home late. Every day for the past three months he had to go to their neighbors house pick up the house key and open the door.

“Why cant I take the key with me Appa?”  “I am 9 years old, “Why do I have to go the Varma Uncle's  house everyday?”

“Look Hari, you refuse to go to day care anymore and say you are old enough to take care of yourself. We allowed you to take the key but you lost it. This is the best way to keep the key safe and that way we also know Varma Uncle will keep an eye on you.”

Hari almost choked at his father’s words. He wanted to share something, he almost blurted it out, but the words stuck in his throat. He wanted to say, Varma Uncle doesn’t just keep an eye on me, he wants to keep his eyes all over me, my body especially. But the words didn’t come out. He couldn’t. He somehow felt it was his fault that Varma Uncle was behaving this way.

He had been greedy those first few days to hog all the sweets and chocolates Uncle had in his fridge. Ferrer Roche and expensive Lindt chocolate that he gave out freely. Hari had eaten all that shamelessly for almost a week, and then one day Varma Uncle had started staring at him, asking him to remove his shirt and wash up as he was sweaty from school.

Then another day he had asked him to play on his laptop instead of going home. Of course Hari had said; Yes! But the strange pictures started appearing suddenly; of naked children; both boys and girls with no clothes on, playing or talking; and that had made Hari feel sick and embarrassed. When he had asked Varma Uncle what it was, he had just said, “photography is my hobby” and had smiled caringly at him, that had made Hari feel even more uncomfortable and confused.

Yet another day soon after that, Varma Uncle had called him into the bedroom and had asked him to massage his back with oil. When Hari had said he didn’t want to, Uncle had frowned at him and had said "Children are ungrateful nowadays. Hari you should help take care of the elderly like me, after all the caring and chocolates Uncle had given you?" So on and on…

Hari often thought “How to tell all this to Appa and Amma ? They are already so tired and busy. Then weekends when they are at home, they want me to finish all the homework in front of their eyes and then there is no time to tell them. But what should I tell them? Uncle doesn’t hurt me or scold me, he is so nice to me, but still he just makes me feel so so Uncomfortable and Confused.”

Should I tell it to my friends Kunal and Akshath. Will they believe me? Am I a bad boy to feel this way?

Luckily for Hari, when he was telling Kunal; Kunal's mother heard it and told his mother and then...

My dear Hari, you need to listen to your feelings. No one should make you feel scared, confused, embarrassed, hurt or uncomfortable. These are feelings that tell you, you are UNSAFE. UNSAFE is when someone or something hurts our body or our thoughts and feelings.

No one should touch your body, or ask to see or smell your body, or your private parts when you don’t want them to. Any touch that makes you feel confused and unsafe must not be kept a secret. Do not keep UNSAFE SECRETS.

Remember the SMART way,

Scream if there are people around you or Say No, Stop loudly

Move Away from the person and go to the door , to get out or go near the window if you are

Actively Resist – don't allow the person to touch you in any way

Remember it is never ever your fault

Remember Hari – it is never ever your fault. It is the responsibility of every adult to take care of children like you and keep them SAFE. Remember to feel CONFIDENT and CALM.

Tell at least 3 adults who will help you , listen to you

SAFE feelings are happy, confident and calm. Tell this person as many times as you need to until they listen to you and help you by taking you away from the person who made you feel UNSAFE.

This SMART method hos been taught to many many children by Muktha Foundation

So you too can do it

 

 This story was made as an audio recording for Buguri Radio channel, Bangalore

 (No part of this story bares any resemblance to living persons, it is a figment of my imagination based on true incidents that may have occurred)