Deepti and the Casanova

"Phree... Phree!" the whistle screamed from the conductor's mouth as the bus jerked and tugged its overflowing load of human beings into motion.
Deepti adjusted her handbag and the drafter case on her shoulders and shifted her legs to counter the bus' jerks to maintain her balance.
"Hey, give me that drafter" , said Syed who was seated on the men's side. Syed, was her senior in college and was dear to her like a brother she never had. Syed had told her that she reminder him of a sister he lost at a tender age of 12 to a cycling accident.

A bunch of newcomers' faces turned to look at her and Syed as if assessing if they were just friends or a couple. It was always the problem with new, always trying to judge people. Chennai was still backward in that aspect. The crowd would get excited and watch with extra interest if it detected that two of them were a couple. As if they were watching a movie and something sensuous was about to play out before them. Of course they would lose interest in a moment and get back to their lost thoughts and analyze how such a pretty girl could fall for a scruffy looking idiot.

Deepti, passed the drafter to Sangeetha who was standing beside her. It was one of the things to be a regular in a bus. You knew most passengers on first name basis. At least the women did. She never noticed men get pally even if the same bunch traveled the route each day.

Sangeetha passed the drafter to Syed and signaled her look at the foot board of the bus. She realized what it was. It was David and his friends. They were also regulars and were studying in the medical college adjoining hers.
She did not know them at first, but boys being boys made sure everyone in the bus knew their names. She did not know if it was a staged act, but the first day she noticed them, one of David's friends shouted out loud enough to hear. "David, don't forget bus ticket, we must be dutiful citizens".
The guy who was addressed David was not listening. He was looking around the ladies' section to check if the ladies noted the loud address.
Sangeetha was one of them. He had instantly locked his eyes on to her.
He had been a regular in this bus for three weeks now. Sangeetha sometimes thought boys were idiots. Were they thinking that girls would be impressed by their so called dare devilry of standing on the footboard?
Her reverie was disturbed by a strong push she felt. She turned around annoyed to check who was pushing her.
To her surprise it was David. He was looking at her directly into her eyes and was smiling. He had mustered up courage to walk up to her she thought.
She did not say anything. She clutched her bags and turned around. No one seemed to notice but for Sangeetha.
Another few minutes she realized that David was using every movement of the bus as an excuse to get into physical contact with her. She moved away a few inches to increase the distance.

"aahh..' she involuntarily let out a gasp as she felt his hands on her hips. She bit her lips as her heart beat raced. Sangeetha did not seem to have noticed what had happened.

She turned to check whose hand it was and as she doubted David was grinning sheepishly and was letting his hands roam.
She made up her mind and quickly turned around to face him. Everyone in the crowd noticed and there was palpable interest in the air. Even Syed noticed the change and was starting to get up. His face was starting to twist.
She smiled at David and signalled Syed to be quiet. David had withdrawn his hands and was still smiling. She quietly opened her handbag and pulled out her cell phone.
She opened its pouch, lifted it to his face and took a picture of David . David was taken aback.
She said calmly and loudly enough for everyone in the bus to hear.
"David, feeling up and molesting women in the bus is a cheap thing to do and you have just earned yourself a label of a dirty scoundrel"
Syed was seething by then. She looked at Syed and said. "Bhaiyya, let me handle him.."
She then turned to face David again and said,
" I have a picture of you and I will be sending this to all my friends, relatives and I will be posting your picture in the dirt bags list in www.abuseswomen.in with all your details that I know already. I have enough decent friends in your college who would gladly provide further details.

She then turned her face to others in the bus as she fiddled with her phone.
"Please ensure that your family and friends are protected from people like him by looking up this website. Only if we punish these people the way it hurts will they change.."

She then turned back to look at him. His face was ashen by then. She smiled at him and resumed..
"You think you guys can get away with anything and we women will squirm in shame? You have no idea where this is going to land you. I have just sent your picture by blue tooth to all my friends in the bus FYI. Dont ever try again with any woman what you tried with me. Not everyone will be patient."
Syed was beaming now and David's face was drained of all blood and he was shuffling embarrassed.
With that she turned his back to him and continued her journey. She and women in this country still had a long journey ahead she thought!