'I'm So Petrified, Fingers Still Shaking': Mumbai Woman Stalked During Ganpati Night See Viral Reddit Post

A young woman from Mumbai took to Reddit to share her harrowing late-night experience of being stalked and harassed by a stranger, sparking conversations about women's safety in the city often considered“safer” than others in India. The incident occurred around 10 pm when the woman stepped out to buy vegetables during Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. Streets were bustling with processions and police presence, but she chose a quieter shortcut through a multi-exit building - a decision that left her shaken.

She noticed a man in corporate attire walking beside her. At first, she brushed it off as coincidence, assuming he was simply taking the same route. But unease grew when she entered the silent corridor of the building, only to find the entrance locked. Turning back, she was startled to see the same man right next to her.

“I froze in that moment and my heart jolted so intensely,” she wrote on Reddit.“He told me, 'arey ye band hai' and some other shit. I was too terrified to even listen. I rushed out without looking back.” Her fears deepened when she entered a nearby medical store to buy tablets. The man followed her inside, standing uncomfortably close despite there being space at the counter.

“His hand touched my booty a bit... My heart started racing. Now I was sure that this guy was following me,” she recounted.

Panicked but alert, she tried to divert her path, walking faster and glancing back repeatedly to ensure he wasn't behind her. At one point, she spotted him crossing the road, seemingly still trailing her. Gathering courage, she stopped on a well-lit street with people around, hoping to confront him. But the man slipped away into the crowd before she could act.

Though she eventually managed to get home safely, the ordeal left her trembling.

“Even when I'm writing this, I'm so petrified and my fingers are still shaking. Can't even imagine what women go through in this country. It's really unsafe out there,” she confessed.

An incident during Ganesh Chaturthi that left me shaken/QuantumJesterr inmumbai

The woman clarified that her reference to Ganpati celebrations was not intended to hurt sentiments, but rather to point out that the crowd and police presence ironically gave her a sense of safety.

The post has struck a chord online, reigniting debates about women's safety in public spaces - especially in metros like Mumbai, which are often perceived as comparatively secure.

A user wrote,“I don't get the whole 'Mumbai is safe' for women statement. We need to stop saying it, so we don't get complacent. Every women in Mumbai too has been touch d/ groped/ molested/ jerked off at. Ok if not ever, atleast 99% of them.”

Another user commented,“Mumbai is comparatively safe compared to delhi noida and others which aren't very good benchmarks either to even compare. That doesn't make mumbai safe. During festivals and crowds men feel entitled to bring their dark side out. Women safety is a joke in this country. And people are on streets fighting for dogs. I mean how much of a joke it can get.”

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