After work, at around 4:30 pm on Monday’s cold winter evening, I decided to stop by at GK’s posh M-Block market, Delhi, to grab a bite before heading home. The evening seemed perfect for a warm serving of Brown Sugar’s pasta in white sauce. Surprisingly, I reached GK from Noida in 20 minutes and without much delay, I placed my order.
I rested my heavy bag on a wobbly table outside their kitchen and waited patiently. I was fidgeting with my phone when I observed a group of well-dressed men cackling their way into the outlet.
Ignore, I thought to myself.
I heard my name at the counter and went excitedly to collect my pasta. Upon returning to my table, I saw that the same men had occupied it. I requested them to move to another table, they obliged, but I knew that they had something up their sleeve.
“...yaar teri girlfriend ko bol woh yahan aa jaye”, “...yaar, tune mujhe woh photo toh bheji hi nahi, hot thi woh bohot.”, I overheard.
After finishing my food, I sensed a phone pointing at me from their table. It was mounted on the table in a way that only the lens would show. I looked closely for a few minutes, before losing my cool. A lanky sardar was behind the phone. I went on their table and demanded an explanation. I was furious.
I snatched his phone from his hand and commanded him to delete it. He, of course, denied doing anything wrong, and his friends meanwhile, continued to jeer. He smirked. Just then, I heard another camera go “click”.
Onlookers, on the other hand, crowded in, waited, heard, gossiped and slipped away.
I held on to his iPhone 6s.
I said: At least unlock your phone and show me the first two photos in your gallery and prove your innocence.
He: No, there is nothing in my phone.
Friends: Still giggling.
I quickly scanned the space, threw his phone in the garbage dump and stormed out. I kept walking till I was out of the market, took an auto and headed home. I was furious, yet scared. What if the same incident had happened at night? Would I have taken the same steps?
I felt violated. My privacy was invaded, my peace was destroyed and what for? For a photograph of a girl eating her food? Eating food alone isn’t an anomaly, is it?
I was disappointed. I felt vulnerable as no one around came forward to help. I understood the hypocrisy of our society. Their participation, I realised, was merely restricted to candle light vigils. Other than that, we live in a society of creeps and peeping toms.
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