This happened back in 2016 when I was just 15 years old.There were some unexplained robberies going around in different parts of the city.From what the police said,The robbers had a specific mode of operation.during the day they would disguise as sellers or delivery boys and would go door to door to analyse houses and neighbourhoods for the prospect for pulling off a successful robbery.They targetted houses were people were alone,so the victims became old people, housewives,Teens, house maids etc.Our part of the city was relatively safe and none such incidents happened here,so we considered ourselves to be safe.
On one rainy evening,I was walking home from school.My friend who was with me had to take a different path as she lived in another neighborhood.I still had some distance left to cover,so I continued walking alone.Usually I like it, enjoying the rain and humming a tune to myself but on that particular day,I felt uneasy.At first I thought it was coz of the dark rainy atmosphere,but soon I realised it was coz someone was following me.A white Van to be precise.I panicked.The people in my neighborhood had 9 to 5 jobs and most of them wouldn’t be home by 6:30 or 7.Including my parents.I used to be home alone everyday after class.That was exactly my fear.I didn’t want these people,who ever they were to figure out where I lived and that I would be home alone.I realised it was dangerous to me.
Suddenly I noticed the van was no longer following me.Instead it was a man.He was trying so hard to make it look like he wasn’t following me,but I wasn’t stupid.I understood they must have parked the van somewhere because there were shops around the road I was walking through and they didn’t want anyone to be suspicious about seeing a van moving so slow.So instead,this guy was following me now.To see where I was going.I pretended like I wasn’t really aware of all this and walked into my neighborhood.I walked past my house and went straight to my neighbours house.I was just trying my luck, there was no one at my neighbour’s house obviously.out of the corner of my eye,I saw the guy turning around and walking back, probably going back to tell his mates on the van that he found my house and the area is clear.As soon as he left,I went to the backyard of my neighbours house and from there to the backyard of my house.with my keys I quietly opened the back door and got inside my home.
I went to the Front door and started looking out through the keyhole.Soon enough I saw the same white van coming and stopping infront of my neighbours house.Since I was looking through a keyhole I couldn’t really makeout what was going on,but from the sound I figured the people inside it got out.I really wanted to call police but I had no phone at home since my parents decided a school kid doesn’t need to own one.So I just decided to wait.After a few minutes,I saw the van going back the way it came.
When my parents came home,I told them all about it and also informed the neighbours as well but both of them just dismissed it saying I was just being paranoid and our neighborhood was safe.They said it could’ve been a delivery van since my neighbours order a lot online.I didn’t say anything,but next day onwards I stayed in my friend’s home after class and came back to my house only after parents returned from work.
Almost a week after that on a fine morning,I saw my mom hand me over a newspaper with a shocked look on her face.As I read the news she showed a chill went down my spine.There was a picture of the same white van and 4 men.I immediately recognised the one that followed me.The news was that they broke into a home,murdered a school girl and robbed everything including her iphone with which the police were able to track them down.They were part of the earlier network of robbers and were planning of committing various robberies and crimes.Through them the police was able to catch all the other robbers involved and all of it came to an end. The positive outcome from all this was that the robbery problem was solved and yeah,I got a new phone too.
I am not a school girl anymore and in safer surroundings now,but still whenever I see a white van,the same dread creeps over me and gives me the chills.