Ram: "No, Anita... he couldn't even bring himself to imagine me as a woman." Just then, he was seized by a sudden stomach pain; clutching his abdomen, he rushed to the bathroom. A short while later, he returned.
Anita: "Brother, what happened?"
Ram: "It's nothing. I frequently get these stomach pains, and when they occur, I experience some bleeding down there."
Janani: "Oh, you poor thing! Do you even realize what that is? Come inside right now," she said, leading him away.
Anita: "You men—all of you—stay outside!" she ordered, shooing them away.
Janani: "Ram, you are no longer a man; you are a woman. Your name is now Ramya. The stomach pain you are experiencing right now is menstruation—the monthly cycle that women go through."
Ramya: "What am I supposed to do about it?"
Janani: "Use a sanitary napkin until the pain subsides." Just then, Anita walked in.
Janani: "Hey, Anita... she mentioned that four or five men had raped her in the past, yet she is only just getting her period now."
Anita: "I suspect they were too hasty; they forced themselves on her before her body had fully developed into that of a woman following her surgery."
Janani: "In a way, that’s actually a good thing. Otherwise, she would likely be carrying a child in her womb right now."
Anita: "In that case... where was she staying after her surgery? How did she end up here? And from whom did your mother bring her home?"
Janani: "Well..." Anita: Ramya, did you regain consciousness at all after they injected you with that sedative? If you did, did you see anything?
Ramya: Whenever I regained consciousness, I could see a signboard with Telugu writing on it through the window there.
Anita: Did you see anything else?
Ramya: No.
Janani: Anita, Moorthy owns a private bungalow in Andhra Pradesh. All his late-night parties are held there; my mother mentioned it to me once.
Anita: Alright, Ramya, put on this sanitary pad now.
Janani: Did you give her a bra and panties?
Anita: No.
Janani: Okay, go to my suitcase, fetch a bra, panties, and a nightie set, and bring Parvathi along with you.
Anita: She retrieved the bra, panties, and nightie, and brought Parvathi back with her.
Janani: "Ramya, get up and come to the bathroom," she said, leading her away. Once inside, she told Ramya to take off her nightie and handed her the bra and panties, instructing her to put them on.
Ramya: She accepted them hesitantly and said, "Please step outside; I'll put them on and come out."
Janani: "We're women too, you know! Just put them on right here in front of us."
Ramya: She took off her nightie, put on the bra, and fastened the hooks at the back. First, she applied the cream; then Anita stepped in, applied the sanitary pad—demonstrating exactly how to place it—and finally helped her put on her panties.
Janani: "Now, take a look at yourself in the mirror," she said, holding it up for her.
Ramya: Blushing deeply, she covered her eyes with her hands.
Anita: "Look at the shyness of this 'new bride'!"
Janani: "That’s enough blushing for now; put on your nightie, you beautiful girl," she teased affectionately. Then, handing her a packet of sanitary pads, she added, "Here—if the one you're wearing gets soiled, just take a fresh one and change it."
Anita: "Parvathi, stay with her and look after her tonight. Tomorrow is an auspicious day; we can perform the ritual turmeric bath for her in the morning."
Parvathi: "Very well, Amma."
Janani: "We have to head back to our hometown tomorrow since our leave is over. Where are we going to have her stay?"
Anita: "Let her stay at our house."
Janani: "But what if she faces some danger there? It would be safer if she just stayed at *my* house instead."
Anita: "But what will happen if your mother finds out?"
Janani: "I intend to bring her into the house with my mother's full knowledge. I have a plan for that—it’s the only way to get her to reveal the truth about Ramya."
To be continued.....
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