Empty Hand Revolution

A Rainy Day

The rain enveloped the cricket field and filled the air to the point of laboring Cosmo’s every breath. It seemed his third year at university had thus far been one solid rainstorm. He scooped a sodden newspaper from a puddle and used it to shield the downpour from his face. Not a single other soul had braved the deluge to join him for a workout.

No wonder. Rain was one thing. This was a bit extreme, even for Cosmo. Convinced no one else would show, he decided to take the day off as well. The time was after 6:00pm. Due to the torrential rain, daylight had already transitioned to night.

He headed toward his dorm at a jog. Along the way, he decided he better take a pit stop behind the supply shed to relieve himself. Before he had the opportunity, a muffled scream chilled him to the bone. It was a woman’s scream—the sort of scream that spoke of a person’s worst fears.

Fueled by an adrenaline surge, Cosmo rounded the shed and kicked in the corrugated metal door. What he saw caused him pause. Even suspecting the worst hadn’t prepared him for the presence of five men clumped around a solitary woman half stripped of her clothing.

“Bugger off!” One of the men attempted to slam the door shut.

Cosmo propped it open with his foot. The impact jarred him from his shock. Flowing forward, he slammed his forearm into the nose and cheek of the man who had spoke. At the same time, he used his other hand to jab a second man in the solar plexus.

Another attempted to lift himself off of the woman. Helping him, Cosmo planted a foot in the man’s side. Caught in his own zipper, the man howled as he crashed into a wall of garden tools.

The rest of Cosmo’s movements were dictated by his attackers. As each attempted to land a punch or a hold, he countered while dealing as much damage as he could without slowing down or obsessing with any single foe. In a matter of seconds the outcome had been determined in his favor.

Seconds after that, none of the five were able to rise.

Cowering next to a fifty-gallon drum, the woman struggled to cover herself with her remaining clothing. Soaking wet, shivering and smeared with mud, she shielded her face.

Cosmo realized she was approximately his own age. Methodically, he checked each of the five attackers, ensuring they’d be no more trouble. He knelt beside the man who had yelled at him, presumably the ringleader, and spoke into his ear loud enough to be heard over the chorus of rain thundering against the tin roof. “I know your faces. If you try anything like this again, next time you won’t get off so easy.”

The man grunted. His one good eye roved wildly in his head, unable to focus.

Cosmo gathered the girl’s remaining clothes and draped them over her.

She flinched at the contact, but quickly dressed herself as well as she could.

Cosmo shuffled toward the door with his back turned. “I’m sorry for what has happened to you. I know it doesn’t undo what has been done, but at least you won’t have to worry about these monsters again.” Cosmo waited several seconds. All he heard was the rain.

He wondered if he should leave. He didn’t want to make the matter worse. At the same time, he wanted to see it through. “I can go now, if you—”

“Thank you for saving me.”

Slowly, Cosmo turned to face her. Her clothes were muddy and slightly torn, but not indecent. The look in her eyes was one of shock. Cosmo knew she wouldn’t get home on her own. “Do you live on campus?”

She shook her head.

“Let me help you to a rickshaw.”

She stared at him, unmoving. Then, as if remembering the event anew, she burst into tears.

“Here.” Cosmo gently escorted her through the tangled mess of maintenance equipment, lawn tools and groaning perverts. Outside the supply shed, the rain seemed quiet in comparison.

Cosmo did his best to stabilize the girl without violating her space or spooking her further. To his surprise, she clung to him, trusting him completely to guide her to safety. It took only a few minutes to reach the edge of campus and locate an autowallah who looked trustworthy. While paying the driver in advance, Cosmo stared at him with enough malice to ensure he remained on his best behavior.

He turned to the girl. “You’ll be alright from here?”

She nodded. “My apartment’s not far.” The color had returned to her face. She smiled. “Thank you, really. You stopped them before anything terrible could happen.”

“I’m just glad I came along when I did.” Cosmo straightened and tapped the roof of the rickshaw.

The driver pulled away from the curb.

The girl suddenly yelled over the combined noise of the rain and traffic. “What’s your name?”

As the merging rickshaw accelerated, he yelled after it. “Cosmo!”