Sexual assaults are in the limelight now, apparently more than it used to be when I got assaulted. I was ten years old then; I started menstruating nearly a year back, still struggling to adjust I had vaguely any idea what was waiting for me. I was on a family trip to the Andaman and Nicobar islands. I was pretty excited about the trip and of course scuba diving ( which I only saw in the movies). I loved the sea! We went to this island named Red Skin island. There I went for my first scuba diving lesson, my instructor(the accused) kept forcing me to get into a floating tube even though I knew how to swim. We went into the water. I felt his hand slip into my chest area. I was an innocent kid with no absolute knowledge about sex or molestation.
At first, I thought maybe he’s supporting the tube, but then he started hurting me to which I panicked and asked him to take me back which he did but after quite some time.I had no clue what had happened.
My father had paid for the second trip as well where they take you to the deep waters. I tried convincing the other man who took my sister diving to take me with him. Just before we were about to leave, they exchanged. I was deep into the sea when his hands reached for my pants. I resisted, and he grabbed my hands and put it inside his pants.
I was a tiny creature to him, and I couldn’t howsoever move. I tried jumping out of the water and acted as if I was short of breath, and he had to take me back.
It has been ten years now, I can’t remember his face, but I can still hear his voice telling me the last few words he said while he pulled me out of the water “Mujhe yaad rakhegi na?” (Will you remember me). A few years later when I learned the concept of sex and molestation, I realised what happened to me.
Until now. The memories from that day haven’t been destroyed a bit.
How terrorised I was and have been till now? Maybe if I knew what was happening to me, I might have shouted for help. Maybe if sex education was compulsory in my school, he’d have been punished for his sins.
I’ll never be visiting Andaman in my life again. Neither have been able to love the sea like before it all happened. I don’t know where the man is. But I do hope he hasn’t traumatised someone’s childhood memories the way he has mine.
Submitted By – Debarpita
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