Smile lighted up the face of a 13-year-old girl on Sunday, after a year-long horror in the form of her pervert father coupled with a number of escape attempts from home, when she found a new life at the Karunya Children’s Home at Bangarupalem and was all set to continue her 8th class from Monday.
Everything went on well for the girl at Narasimhapalle of Tavanampalle mandal near Chittoor till last year when her sick younger brother passed away. Her father (36), a vagabond, always came home in a drunken and maniacal state forcing her helpless mother (32) to work at the vegetable market in Chittoor since June last year to support the family. She would leave home by 2.30 am to reach the market, 30 km away, to return by dusk.
As she was slowly adapting herself to the absence of her mother from the small hours, she had hardly expected that her drunkard father would turn into a nightmare. Inventing all sorts of tricks to avoid the insider-molester, she had to spend sleepless nights taking shelter at the homes of her friends. Finding the strategies to save herself very humiliating, she would even accompany her mother only to return to school in the morning, suffering tedium due to the shuttle in rural buses and share autos between Chittoor and her village. Lingering at the school premises and with her friends and neighbours, the girl would wait desperately for her mother each sunset.
The ingenious ways of the daughter had only driven the heinous man to madness, as he soon resorted to beating her. Thrice she made attempts to leave home to Tirumala, Chittoor and Kanipakam this year, only to return home with suicidal thoughts and love for her labouring mother. A couple of months ago, the railway police in Tirupati rescued her while lingering on the platform, and handed her over to the mother to whom she poured out her tale of misery.
As the father stuck to his ways despite repeated appeals, the mother and the daughter on Friday approached the Rural Organization for Poverty Eradication Services (ROPES), Women’s Association for Liberation, Transformation and Community Health (WATCH) and the Child Line 1098. After informing the police and district authorities, the girl was given shelter at the Bangarupalem-based child rehabilitation centre.
The mother told The Hindu that the very thought of her daughter being safe was enough to her. “Having lost my son last year and with a pervert husband now, its my duty to save my only daughter. I have done it. I am a helpless mother and I want to stay away from all legal steps against my husband. God will punish him,” she said.
