Pranaadhika Sinha Devburman (23) is the founder of the NGO Elaan: Combat Child Sexual Abuse. She has been working on child sexual abuse issues for the past seven years.

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He rose from where everybody else rose.
He ate the same food,
regurgitated the same sickness,
drove the same nail into the same hole
till he was satiated.
He was so boring.
Just like you.

He made friends with a little girl –
he knew she was lonely.
He swung her from the tops of monkey bars
till she regurgitated the same sickness that he did.
She thought she loved it.
He knew better.

He played secret games with her:
games that ended with sticky fingers
that closed candy apple lips.
Confused petulant pouty lips,
questions silenced with lollipops and candyfloss.
He loved it.

She grew up.
He loved it even more.
Monkey bars grew into dark bars;
the sickness still remained
reeking breath overtook the candy apple.
The lollipop tasted funny.

He found her lying motionless
down by the swings and the monkey bars.
She was so beautiful, with hair like candyfloss
pouty petulant pink lips of a colour
that matched the twin red lines on her wrists.
‘Can’t take it anymore, feel so guilty’
said the note by her side.

He stepped back.
He looked behind him.
His face contorted.
He smiled.

—