Chapter 1

“I love you”, Satya said looking deep into her beautiful eyes. He loved how her mouth curled into a smile after hearing him. Their naked bodies were still wrapped around each other like snakes. Satya’s spent penis was was resting softly on her belly. He couldn’t believe the deep love he felt for her. He knew he was looking into the eyes of the girl he would marry one day, the future mother of her children.

“I love you too”, she smiled. Satya leaned forward and started kissing her again.

After the kiss, she started dressing while Satya watched. He imagined what life would be like waking up next to her, when they wouldn’t need to hide their love. But he knew it was too far away. First he has to clear his board exams with a great score, get into one of the top colleges in the country, then get an extremely high paying job and then he can come back to ask her parents for her hand. But he couldn’t wait for that future. He was doing everything possible to make the future come true.

The lovers fixed their next date and reluctantly said their goodbyes.

Satya waited for her in the forest clearing in the evening of the date. She was late. She had never been late. Terrible thoughts started coming to his mind. But he waited, he waited until deep into the night, until he was sure there was no chance of her coming.

When he returned home he saw the blinking lights of a police car. For a moment he forgot all about her. He started running towards his house. He didn’t let his mind wonder what terrible things could have happened.

As soon as he reached his house, one of the cops grabbed him and slammed him in the ground. There was a lot of shouting and screaming. In the confusion he felt kicks to his gut and to his face. Soon he was getting handcuffs put on his hands. No one replied when he asked why he was being arrested.

His sight fell on his mother. She was crying hysterically, with her hand on her chest. He had never seen her cry so hard. Seeing her crying so miserably broke his heart. He looked around and found his father.

His father, the patriarch, was someone who Satya could always go to find a solution to any problem. He was the calm, collected and reserved rock of the family.

But right then, his father’s face was covered in an expression of pure hate and disgust. He had never seen his father like that. It scared him to his core and suddenly he stopped resisting the police all together.

In the police station he learnt that he is being charged for blackmail, threats and rape of his girlfriend. He cried out in shock but no one listened to him.

Later in the night, behind the bars, he realized what must have happened. His girlfriend’s family must have found out about their relationship. To stop them they must have raised a false rape complaint. It was, after all, not uncommon for things like this to happen in this country where parents think they have the right to kill their children to save their honour. Regardless, he knew his life was over. Sex inbetween minors is considered statutory rape, even if he was a minor too. He knew he would face the consequences. But once he proves that it was consensual the punishment would be less severe. He would fall on his father’s feet and ask for forgiveness. He knew lived in a conservative country but his father was relatively liberal. He knew he wouldn’t care if he had sex before marriage.

The next morning he met his mother. He explained to his crying mother the supposed victim was actually his girlfriend. Her mother didn’t stop crying but revealed that it was the her, who he claimed to be his girlfriend, that claimed he raped her. He refused to believe that. He knew in his heart that she would never say that. He was sure her parents had made up the bullshit story because they were mad. He explained the same to his mother.

He asked why his father didn’t come. Her mother went silent for a moment and started crying again. She told him that his father was not going to come. Soon his maternal uncle and maternal grandfather reached the station.

They went to court together and his uncle and grandfather paid for his bail. But it was explained to him strictly to not call or meet his girlfriend. That would be witness harassment and his bail would be immediately cancelled and further charges would be put on him.

When he reached his house, he saw his father. His father’s face still had the same expression of hate and disgust. He was too afraid to speak but his uncle and grandfather tried to convince his father.

“He is just a kid”, his uncle said.

“He might be a kid but he is not my kid!”, he shouted and told them that Satya was not allowed to be in his house. Satya’s mother fainted in front of the house steps but her husband’s face never softened.

From then on, Satya had to stay with his grandfather. His school expelled him. His private tutors no longer wanted him in the class. None of his friends tried to reach out to him. Once, while he was coming back from the market a few people put an opaque plastic bag over his face and beat him until he lost consciousness.