Imagine this.
Two little girls. Friends. Neighbors. They study in the same school and go to school together everyday. One studying in the 4th standard and the other in 3rd.
Their parents had come to an arrangement that one parent would take both kids together to school in the morning and the other would bring them back in the afternoon. The parents, both gentlemen. Love their kids so much.
Everything goes well with both families until one day one of the girls seems to be depressed and the school authorities decide to do a counseling. They find out that the neighbor who brings the kids in the evening, her good friend’s father, as old as her father, abuses her sexually.
Imagine that. Well, you don’t have to imagine much as this is something that actually happened in Kerala, as I heard from a friend last week. The school in which both these girls are studying has decided to do a counseling with all children in the light of this event. A very good step which is better late than never.
I have a request to all parents who are reading this post. All of you who have young girls and boys. Please do take extra care for your children. Don’t let that close friend, cousin or neighbor physically express their love for your kids. Don’t let them loose and spend time alone with these folks. Draw a line. People might ask, ‘why panic’ and ‘what about trust’ and all that. Damn trust. A pissed off friend/cousin/neighbor is anytime better for your children than a lifelong fear of hugs, touches and kisses.
Remember that dialogue which Nazeerudhin Shah’s character delivers in the movie Monsoon Wedding? “These are my children, and I will protect them from myself even if I have to.” Think about that.