19-year-old Rewari rape survivor misses exam she'd been preparing for
On September 19, she would've appeared for the central government entrance examination she'd been preparing for and who knows, might've topped it like board examinations, had it not been for a bunch of youth who decided to change the course of her fate to fulfill their lust. We're talking about the Rewari rape survivor, who rather than appearing for the exam, lies in hospital.
She had been preparing for this exam since months
For months, the 19-year-old victim living in Haryana's Rewari district had been preparing for this government job exam and had also enrolled at a coaching center, some distance away from her village. It was on her way to that coaching class at 7:10 AM, on September 12, that she was allegedly abducted by two of the five accused and was gang-raped.
Coaching fee was more than her family's total income
The fee at the coaching institute was Rs. 5,400 which was, in fact, Rs. 400 more than the Rs. 5,000 that the victim's father earned working as a teacher in a local school. He, however, managed to earn 'a few extra thousands' by coaching after the school hours. Ironically, he had even coached one of the main accused.
She tried saving on the bus fare
The survivor's uncle said every morning, she would accompany her father on the school-bus and get down near the coaching center. "Around 2:30pm, on her way back, she would again take the school bus. She was trying to save on the bus fare," he added.
This job was her chance to help her family financially
"She did well in both academics and sports," her father told The Indian Express while talking about his daughter's 'dreams'. Though the 19-year-old enrolled for an undergraduate course, she focused on competitive exams. "After her coaching class, she would come home and study. She wanted to get a job and understood that we were not well off and wanted to help us," he said.
She wakes up screaming from sleep at times: Her mother
"She keeps sleeping. Sometimes she wakes up scared and mumbles incoherently...she has been getting migraine. The doctors have asked even family members to stay away...they don't want her to relive the trauma. They say she could slip into coma," her mother said, adding that she had coconut water after not eating for many days. The hospital authorities didn't comment citing court strictures.
The 'development' in the case
The Haryana Police announced on Sunday that it has captured the two remaining main accused, making total five arrests, and added that these accused may have been involved in other cases of sexual assault, as well. All the accused are known to the survivor's family.
Now, her cousin has been stopped from attending college
While the survivor's father 'dared' to educate his girl, the incident has caused a long-term damage and it will take time before things return to 'normal' for other girls like her. "She was a role model for me. Since the incident, I have been stopped from attending college and coaching. It's the same for most girls in the village," said the 19-year-old's cousin.
