Confessions of A School Slut: A Story about Slut-Shaming ✓

Chapter Twenty

Try listening:

» Storm Before The Calm by Eppic, Jess Moskaluke
» Bad Liar by Selena Gomez

Chapter Twenty

As the story of my first two years in high school comes to a close, I make the hardest confession of all. One about something that had been happening since a long while, but I never had the guts to face. The thought of which has always brought tears to my eyes. Maybe, it will continue to do so every single time I think about it.

Back in the starting of the year, before I had been a criminal, or before Saina had spread any rumors about me, or even before Sameer had called me a slut, I was a clueless girl. Someone who was often called beautiful. Someone who got a lot of male attention but rarely paid any heed to it. Someone who hadn't met the real devils so far. Someone who wasn't like anyone in town. Someone who was an outsider.

Back at that time, any boy I talked to was paid respect by his friends. No boy had been able to talk to me before Sameer. No boy except my cousin brother, Raj.

When I was new in the school, no one knew Raj and I were relatives. No one asked me. He told no one. It wasn't such a huge thing anyway. A lot of people had cousins studying in the same school. There wasn't anything special about it. What did it matter whether he was my brother or not? 

Except, it did. That too, a lot. I just didn't know about any of it.

Not until I befriended Isha and she helped me know.

Not until someone trusted me enough to let me in on the truth.

I was meeting Isha after a long time now. Thanks to the vacations and our houses being far away, it wasn't easy to meet so often.

"Riddhika, you know.." Isha began as I came and sat on the seat in front of her. I looked at her with curiosity, as I gestured her to continue.

"There's something I need to tell you," she continued. She glanced around uneasily. It was like déjà vu. It reminded me of the time when Arsh was babbling on and on about our date. The time Manas and I became friends.

"What's up?" I still asked. I wasn't certain if I wanted to hear the answer to that.

"You know, Raj..." she said in that same worried voice.

"Yeah? My cousin, Raj," I replied.

"Yeah, well there's something that you should know about him..." she trailed off. Oh my God! Had something happened to him?

I looked at her with confusion and worry etched on my face. What had happened now?

"Yeah, well he did something pretty bad..." she continued. "It's time I think you should know."

"Isha, you're scaring me, you know that right?" I responded. My voice wasn't sure of what it was saying. My mind definitely wasn't certain of whether it wanted to know her next words or not. What had Raj done now?

"Yeah, listen.." she began. "He said some pretty bad stuff about you in our coaching classes last evening. I just thought you should know."

"Raj? My cousin Raj said something bad about me?" I looked back at her with surprise and shock. I didn't believe her. Not now at least. How could I? Raj was my cousin. Why would he say a single bad thing about me to anyone? Why would he?

"Yeah. Listen, you don't have to believe me. I just wanted to let you know," she continued. I nodded. I didn't ask her what he said. If it was something bad, then it would do nothing but hurt me. If it was just a lie, then I would be hurting for no apparent reason. Did I want to know, though? I had no answer to that.