Karthika sat in the back seat between Meera and Rahul, completely silent. His head stayed down, eyes fixed on the gold pallu clutched in his lap. A single tear rolled down his cheek without him even noticing. The weight of everything had finally cracked something inside him.
Aditya glanced at him in the rear-view mirror. “Aww, cheer up, buddy. You made an amazing woman today. Look at you — so pretty, so convincing. We’re all proud of our Karthika.”
Meera turned toward him. “I’m pretty sure you learnt what it is to be a woman now, didn’t you? Do you finally understand the weight of that dupatta you stole?”
Karthika’s voice came out small and defeated. “I’m sorry… please. I would never do anything like that ever again. I’ll treat every woman with the highest respect. Please… let me go. Please. I can’t stand this anymore. Please.”
Meera let out a gentle, pitying laugh. “Awww, baby girl… learning your lesson is good, But we’re not done with you for tonight, sweetie. There are still a few hours before the day ends, and we want to have fun with our new lady friend.”
Rahul reached over and tapped Karthika’s cheek twice. “See? I knew he’s a good girl.”
Aditya smiled at the road. “Right. Before we go home we have to give something to our friend on the way. Then straight home, okay Karthik… pssskkk — I mean Karthika.”
Karthika could only manage a weak, defeated shake of his head.
Meera opened her bag and pulled out the red lipstick again. “Let’s touch you up more, baby girl. A woman has to look seductive for her boyfriend, doesn’t she?”
Karthika’s voice was faint. “I’m a boy… not a girl. I’m not gay… I don’t have a boyfriend.”
Meera switched her phone to selfie mode and held it in front of his face. “See, baby? Do you see a boy here? Because I see a lovely, made-up woman ready for her boyfriend. Unfortunately, tonight you’re going to be the girlfriend, baby girl. Or the videos go up right now. Or we can drop you here. Do you want that, Karthika? Do you want to stay here dressed like this, remember that stranger gave you a beautiful gift outside am pretty sure he would your company tonight?”
Karthika’s eyes widened in panic. He remembered the forced kiss and the sharp pinch on his hips. He was trapped.
“I’ll… I’ll be the girlfriend you guys made me to be,” he whispered.
Meera smiled. “That’s good, baby. So protective of your virginity… just like a real woman.”
She overlapped the red lipstick thicker, then dabbed a little on his cheeks and blended it into a soft blush. Rahul passed forward strands of fresh jasmine flowers. Karthika’s eyes went wide with fresh horror.
Meera turned him firmly and began pinning the fragrant jasmine strands into his hair. “Now you look perfectly seductive for your boyfriend. Isn’t he, Aditya?”
Aditya glanced back. “OMG… look at him. He looks like an absolute hot, sexy girl.”
Meera pulled out a small tube. “One last thing — the gloss.” She squeezed thick, clear liquid directly onto his lower lip. “Press your lips together, baby girl. Like this — mmm. Three… two… one… done.”
She sat back laughing as Karthika tried to open his mouth. He couldn’t. He tried again. Still nothing. Panic flashed across his face.
Meera leaned in, still giggling. “Don’t worry, darling. It’s Feviquick. You won’t be able to open your mouth for a while. I just thought — what if you started making tantrums in your boy voice and got us into trouble? This way you’ll stay nice and quiet like a good little woman.”
Karthika’s eyes filled with fresh tears. His lips were sealed shut. He could only make soft, muffled sounds. The strong, sweet smell of jasmine filled the car with every movement. The saree and heavy petticoat restricted his legs. The tight blouse and weight on his chest made every breath feel deliberate and feminine.
Throughout the drive, Meera’s hand rested on his thigh, then slowly moved higher. Her fingers rubbed seductively over the front of the saree, pressing firmly against his private area through the layers. Karthika’s body reacted instantly — arousal building against his will while his mind spun in chaos. He squirmed helplessly, the petticoat and saree trapping his movements, the glued lips preventing any protest. Meera just smiled and kept rubbing.
The car eventually slowed and stopped on a dark stretch of road with almost no streetlights. Karthika didn’t recognise the area. It looked deserted and slightly seedy.
Aditya turned in his seat. “Baby, can you do me a small help? My friend will come from that side of the road. Can you give this parcel to him? He won’t even see your face properly — he’ll just come to the car. Just go near, ask for Justin, he’ll say yes, pass it to him, and come back to us. Easy, right?”
Karthika really didn’t want to go. He was terrified. But the thought of finishing this one task and finally being allowed to go home made him nod weakly. He took the small wrapped parcel with shaking hands, opened the car door, and stepped out into the humid night. The heels clicked on the uneven road. The jasmine in his hair released more scent with every step. His lips stayed firmly glued shut.
He crossed the dark road and stood waiting near a dimly lit corner, clutching the parcel, saree pallu held tightly in one hand, the small handbag on his shoulder. The area was quiet… but not empty. A few figures moved in the shadows further down the road.
Little did he know, the area where he was standing was a well-known red-light district.
Karthika stood frozen, heart hammering, unable to call out, unable to open his mouth, dressed as a heavily made-up woman in a gold saree with jasmine in her hair, waiting in the dark. The chiffon saree felt heavy and tiring after wearing it the entire evening. With the sweat, the fabric started to stick a little at certain areas — under the blouse, along the petticoat, against his smooth skin. He now understood the reality of the pain and discomfort of wearing a saree.
A few bikes passed by, whistling at him. He didn’t understand why… but Aditya, Rahul, and Meera in the car were laughing, knowing exactly where Karthika was now standing, and they were secretly recording the whole thing.
Next, a car came and stopped. The window opened. Karthika went forward saying the name “Justin”. The driver asked, “How much for the night?”
Karthika didn’t understand why he asked that. He shook his head and moved back. The driver kept pushing. “I’ll give however much you ask.” Karthika couldn’t believe why this man was pestering him, calling him “hey potachi, va di” and asking the unnecessary question of how much. He nodded no again and moved forward. The driver got irritated and the car left.
Then another one came and stopped. Karthika thought this could be Justin. Holding his pallu and purse, he walked forward slowly. Inside he saw the driver, a bit drunk. He asked for Justin.
The driver replied, “Eh potachi?.. How much for the night?” Karthika again thought why everybody was asking that question. He stepped back. But the drunken driver kept pestering him and asking how much.
Karthika started to fear a bit and started walking a little forward. The driver parked the car and got out, walked towards Karthika who was totally flipping out — being dressed as a woman, mouth sealed, can’t call for help, and a man approaching. The driver took his hand and pulled “her” towards the car, saying “Va di, polam”, pulling him. Karthika resisted a lot, pulling himself back.
The three friends in the car were watching this and enjoying it, laughing a lot at how Karthika was being demasculinized so much.
The driver got irritated with his resistance. Suddenly he pulled Karthika close, held him by his hips, and started kissing him all over his face and finally on the lips, forcing it.
Karthika tried to get away from his grip and tripped, eventually falling on the road like a girl in distess. Immediately his “saviours” came — Aditya, Rahul, and Meera — to “save” him from the drunken driver and sent him away.
Karthika tearing and paining from the fall sighed in relief. He silently thanked Selvi the house servant in his mind for putting so many pins on his saree it stayed perfectly in place without exposing even when he fell.
Meera was laughing. “What, Karthika? I thought you said you’ll be a girlfriend, but now you want to be a prostitute? Never thought you’d become like this…” haha
Then everything made staring to make sense — the questions people asked him: “How much for the night?” He was unknowingly prostituting himself. He started tearing up.
Meera helped him up and guided the shaken girl to the car. All got in. Meera took her phone and took a photo of Karthika his lipstick smudged a little over the lips from the forced kissing.
“You look cute, baby,” she said, and all of them laughed as they headed home.
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