The first time I was harassed was in middle school.
My friend and I were on our way home.
When all of a sudden,
Three guys on a motorcycle,
Grabbed me from behind,
All three of them in one go.

I got really flustered and my face flushed.
I tried to act as if nothing happened.
Until I got home.
I didn’t talk to anyone.
I went to my room and cried alone.
The incident affected me for a while.

The second time I was harassed,
I was in highschool,
It was during finals and I had a revision class.
It was on a Friday, before prayers, so the streets were quiet.
My friend and I met after class,
And she told me that on her way to class, someone had touched her.
I was truly confused, especially since we were in Ramadan.

Then as we were leaving,
Someone came towards us.
He, too, touched me.
Without thinking, I dragged him off his bike.
I beat him up and called him all kinds of names.

“I was going to fall, miss. I’m sorry!” he kept saying.
Later, I found my friend looking at me in surprise.
“I wish I knew how to do that!” she said.
This is when I realized how happy I was that I got my revenge.
That I didn’t remain silent or embarrassed.

I decided that I would never be ashamed.
That I would never remain silent when something like that happens to me.
They are the ones who should be ashamed of what they’re doing,
Not us.
And what made me even happier,
Was that when I went back home and told my family,
They were proud of me.