Vijay: The reluctant woman

Chapter 6: A New Name

The woman leaned forward a little, her red saree rustling softly, and spoke.

But the voice that came out was deep and clearly male.

“Bro… I’m a man too.”

Vijay sat completely still on the sofa, as if the words had turned him into stone. His eyes stayed wide open, locked on the beautiful face in front of him. For several long seconds his brain refused to work. The woman — no, the *person* — had glowing skin, full breasts pressing against the tight maroon blouse, a soft exposed midriff, and a confident smile that had made Vijay’s heart race only moments ago. Now that same smile belonged to a man. A deep, ordinary male voice had just come out of those glossy lips.

Vijay felt his glued F-cup breasts rise and fall rapidly inside the thin yellow nighty. The heavy weight of them pulled at his chest with every shocked breath. His bangles clicked together on his wrists as his hands trembled in his lap. Heat rushed up his neck and into his cheeks. Shame burned there like fire. Just a few minutes earlier he had been staring at this “woman” with raw hunger, imagining what it would feel like to touch her. Now the memory made him feel sick and foolish.

*This can’t be happening,* he thought. *I stared at a man like that? I felt… excited?*

His mouth opened and closed without making a sound. His new glossy lips felt strange and dry. The low messy bun of long silky hair at the back of his neck suddenly felt heavier, like a constant reminder of how completely his body had changed.

Ravi noticed the stunned look on Vijay’s feminine face and gave a kind, understanding laugh. He patted the empty space on the sofa beside him. “Relax, my friend. I know it’s a shock. Sit properly and breathe. This is my elder brother, Suresh. He is the main actress in our drama troupe.”

Suresh adjusted the pallu of his red saree with easy, practiced movements and sat down comfortably. Even knowing the truth now, Suresh still looked completely natural — like any ordinary woman from the neighborhood taking a break after a long day. He smiled gently at Vijay. “Nice to meet you properly,” he said in his real voice, which was warm and friendly, not at all mocking. “I know this is a lot to take in all at once. Most people react the same way when they first find out.”

Vijay could only nod slowly, still trying to make sense of everything. He looked from Suresh to Ravi and back again. Two brothers. One of them living most of his life dressed and acting as a woman. It felt strange, almost impossible. But there was no anger or teasing in their eyes — only patience and quiet understanding.

Over the next hour, the four of them — Vijay, Suresh, Ravi, and Uncle Raja — sat together in the living room. The ceiling fan turned slowly above them, stirring the warm night air. Ravi explained everything in a calm, straightforward way. Their small drama troupe had started many years ago when the family was deep in debt. They performed all kinds of plays in villages and small towns around Vijayawada and the Godavari area. At first they had only three or four people, all family. They needed someone to play the female roles, and Suresh was the only one with the right build and willingness to try.

“Uncle Raja helped us a lot back then, He's the who sculpted me into this sexy woman” Suresh said, nodding respectfully toward his father’s old friend. “He taught me how to walk, talk, and look completely believable. Without him, none of this would have worked.”

Suresh nodded. “It wasn’t easy in the beginning,” he admitted in his deep voice. “But this work fed us. It pulled our whole family out of heavy debts and gave us a real living. Now the troupe feels like home.”

Vijay listened quietly, his hands resting in his lap. For the first time since he had run from Hyderabad, he did not feel completely alone. These people understood what it meant to hide, to pretend, to do whatever was necessary just to survive another day.

Uncle Raja looked at Vijay with serious but kind eyes. “You cannot stay hidden in this house forever, my boy. The police will eventually check every relative and every known address. But if you join Ravi and Suresh’s drama troupe as a new member, you will have a perfect reason to keep moving from village to village. No one will question a new actress travelling with the group.”

Ravi nodded in agreement. “We actually need another woman in the team right now. You already have the look, thanks to Raja sir. With some training, you can become one of us.”

Vijay swallowed hard. The idea of living as a woman every single minute — in public, in front of strangers — still terrified him. His new body felt like a cage he could not escape. But when he looked at Suresh, who was watching him with gentle encouragement, something inside him shifted just a little. He had no other safe choice.

“Alright,” Vijay said finally, his voice coming out softer than he expected. “I’ll do it.”

The next morning, the real work began.

Suresh took charge with patience and warmth. “From now on, call me Suresh Anna when we are alone,” he said with a smile. “And you are no longer Vijay. From this moment, you are Priyanka. Even inside the house, you must live as her. That is the only way it will start to feel natural.”

They spent hours in the living room and the small courtyard. Suresh taught him everything step by step. How to take smaller steps so the saree flowed naturally. How to let the hips sway gently without forcing it. How to sit down gracefully, keeping the knees together and the back straight. How to speak in a softer, higher tone and smile shyly when someone looked at him. Whenever Vijay felt embarrassed or frustrated — which happened many times — Suresh would share his own old stories. He laughed about the first time he had tripped over his own pallu in front of an entire village audience. He told Vijay how scared he had been on his very first public outing.

By evening, something small but important had changed. Vijay found himself laughing along with Suresh when his pallu slipped for the tenth time. The shame was still there, but it felt lighter. Suresh’s friendly, brotherly nature made the training feel less like a punishment and more like learning a difficult but necessary skill. For the first time in many days, Vijay felt the beginning of real friendship.

The real test came the next afternoon.

“We need vegetables and groceries for the troope,” Suresh said. “You will come with me to the market as Priyanka. Stay calm. Keep your face natural. If anyone stares, just look down like a shy housewife.”

Vijay’s heart started beating fast. He changed into a simple light blue cotton saree with a matching blouse. Suresh helped him tie it properly, showing him how to drape the pallu neatly over his shoulder. His long hair was combed and tied into a neat bun. A small red bindi was placed on his forehead, thin bangles went on his wrists, and a light touch of powder and kajal completed the everyday look. When Vijay looked in the mirror, he saw an ordinary young woman from any neighborhood in Vijayawada.

As they stepped out of the house and walked through the narrow, busy streets, Vijay kept his eyes mostly on the ground. The saree felt strange against his legs with every step. His bangles made soft clicking sounds. The weight of his breasts and the sway of his hips still felt foreign. The market was noisy and crowded — the smell of fresh vegetables, spices, and street food filled the air. People moved around them, bargaining loudly, laughing, and calling out to each other.

Suresh walked beside him like two sisters on a normal errand, chatting lightly about the price of tomatoes and the weather. A few men glanced at the two women, but no one stared too long. When an old shopkeeper asked curiously, “New to this area, akka?” Suresh answered smoothly, “Yes, we've just come here to visit our relativehere for a few days.”

Vijay’s hands trembled slightly when he paid for the vegetables, but he managed to keep his voice soft and steady. Later, a police constable on a bicycle slowed down near them. Vijay’s stomach tightened into a painful knot. *Does he recognize me?* The constable looked at them for a few seconds, but Suresh laughed softly and said something casual about the heat. The man smiled and rode on without another word.

By the time they returned home, Vijay’s back was damp with sweat under the saree. His legs felt weak from the tension. But they had done it. No one had suspected anything.

Suresh closed the door behind them and smiled proudly. “You did well, Priyanka. See? You can do this.”

Vijay stood in front of the mirror once more. The woman staring back at him — Priyanka — still felt like a stranger. The shame and fear were still there. But for the first time since the nightmare in Hyderabad began, he also felt a small, quiet sense of safety. With Suresh’s quiet guidance and friendship, he was slowly, carefully learning to live in this new skin.

And Priyanka, for now, was keeping him alive.

To be continued...