'O laal pari, chalegi kya': Woman alleges harassment by 7-year-old boy in housing society. Video

The incident has triggered a wider debate on how young children pick up behaviours normalised in their surroundings.

A woman’s routine evening walk inside her residential complex reportedly took a disturbing turn when a boy, estimated to be around seven years old, allegedly passed lewd remarks at her.

In a video statement posted on Instagram, the woman said the incident unfolded when she was dressed in a long skirt and a red blouse. She recounted that the child mocked her appearance by calling out, “O laal pari” (“red fairy”). Initially shocked and unsure how to respond, she described how the situation became even more unsettling when the society’s watchman was seen laughing at the remark rather than intervening.

When she crossed paths with the boy a second time, he allegedly made another comment, saying, “Kon hain tu, chalegi kya?” (“Who are you? Will you come with me?”). The woman said her patience broke at this point, prompting her to confront the boy directly. The security guard stepped in and instructed the boy to apologise. However, she said the apology was delivered in a casual manner before he quickly fled the scene.

In her post, she wrote: “While on my walk inside my own society, a six- to seven-year-old boy called out to me: ‘O laal pari, chalegi kya?’ The same line grown men use to harass womenon the streets. Everyone around laughed — even the security guard. But I didn’t find it funny. Because this is where it begins. A child doesn’t invent such words — he hears them, sees them, and copies them. If not corrected, this masti becomes harassment.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kiran Grewal (@quirkey_lyf)

The woman further alleged that when she raised the issue, the watchman attempted to dismiss the seriousness of the situation. According to her, the guard defended the boy by pointing to his “good family background” and said the remark was “just a joke” without any intention to offend. She said this explanation angered her even more, as it appeared to condone inappropriate behaviour simply because the offender was a child.

The Instagram video has since drawn widespread attention online, with many describing the episode as alarming. Several commenters expressed concern not only for women’s safety but also for the environment in which children are exposed to and repeat such language.

Some social media users said the matter should have been escalated to the child’s parents. One person remarked, “Bad society. Bad parenting. Feel sorry for you.” Another suggested, “You underreacted. Should have said no, but let’s call your parents. And made him an example for other kids.”

Others highlighted broader social issues reflected in the incident.

One commenter wrote, “And the sad part is you had to show what you were wearing before telling about the incident, says a lot about our society.” Another urged stronger action: “100% you should speak to his parents. This is the time to stop him and correct him, make him understand this is not the right way to go about in life. If he doesn’t get punished now he will grow that mentality and keep behaving like this with other women. And his parents only can make this happen. Please inform them about this act.”

The incident has triggered a wider debate on how young children pick up behaviours normalised in their surroundings, and how early intervention by families and communities is critical in preventing the normalisation of harassment.