Sisters fought harassers on bus, no one helped them.
In a mobile phone video that is now viral, two young girls are seen thrashing men on a bus, as other commuters just watch. They get some blows in return but don't back down.
The men had harassed the girls, who are sisters, constantly from the time they got on the crowded bus from Rohtak in Haryana. After enduring their lewd comments, abuses, obscene gestures and touches, Arati, 22, and Pooja, 19, fought back.
To everyone who has seen the video, they are now the feisty "Rohtak sisters" who took on their harassers in a state notorious for crimes against women.
They will be felicitated by Chief Minister ML Khattar on Republic Day and will receive Rs 31,000 each. But their bigger reward is an order that the police and transport department should ensure women's safety.
"Our family has taught us not to be afraid, to stand up for ourselves," said their oldest sister in a village that is celebrating the bravery of the girls.
"They threw chits with their mobile phone numbers at us. When my sister shouted, they started abusing us. On the bus, they made obscene gestures, touched us and abused us. We could not take it anymore and started beating them. One of the men grabbed my sister's hand and the other held me by the neck. That's when my sister took out her belt and started hitting them," said Pooja.
"Others in the bus told us 'don't do anything... they will rape you or pour acid on you. They will kill you'...We were scared but we did not give up," said her sister Arati.
One passenger, a pregnant woman reportedly tried to intervene, but when the men turned on her, the sisters hit out again.
As the video clip provoked a flood of reactions on social media, it was after two days, late on Sunday night, that the police said all three, Kuldeep, Mohit and Deepak, had been arrested.
"Their parents came to meet our father, said change the statement - they are about to join the army...their lives will be ruined. What about our lives? Can men like these protect our country?" the girls said.