Corrective Measures

Pia sat in silence, ashen faced and scared as her parents were hysterical. Their "guruji" sat cross-legged on the floor, muttering to himself. Her mother wailed, "How could this happen? We should've never left her alone with her friend." Her father tried to comfort her, but choking back tears, he asked the holy man, "Is there any hope? Can she be cured and rehabilitated?"

Pia knew she was toast. Her mom had discovered the vibrator during a routine search of her room. She never understood why her mom felt the need to search her room when all her actions were supervised and her every movement scrutinized. She was a third year college student who lived at home, had no TV or computer, few friends, wore traditional clothes all the time, never groomed or wore makeup, attended college where her mother worked, and so on. She had one close friend, Sheetal, who had returned from abroad for her summer break, and had spent ten days with her, talking about men and sex and lesbianism and sex toys and Brazilian waxes, showing hers to Pia, and teaching Pia new ways to pleasure herself, hence the vibrator.

The holy man adjusted his orange robes and sipped his tea. He looked at Pia's parents and closed his eyes. He said softly, "There are two paths for her. Forced widowhood or penance. I would advise against the first."

"What will penance entail?" her father asked.

"Separation from the world for three months. She will serve time at the monastery and will be returned to you chaste and pure as though none of this ever happened."

"What about college? My exams?" Pia yelled.

"Silence," her mom thundered, getting up to slap her but restraining herself. "I will apply for medical leave for you and you will finish your course from home when you return."

"When should she begin?" her father asked, eager to get the process moving.

"Wake her up at 4 am tomorrow, before the crows. Only give her tea and water for she must fast," said the holy man, "Bathe her with cold water and make her wear a white sari. Bring her to the monastery by 6 am."

"What shall we pack?" asked her mom.

"Nothing," said the holy man, "We will provide." He got up to leave and her parents lunged to touch his feet.

After he left, Pia was sent to her room, which had been emptied of all her belongings during her mother's frantic search. The closet lay empty as did the clothes rack. The only thing left was the bedding. Pia didn't eat that night, choosing to lie in bed and stare at the ceiling. After dinner, her mom came and lay next to her, saying nothing. At some point both of them fell asleep.

At 4 her father entered the room with two large cups of tea. Pia drank it. Her mom escorted her to the bathroom and made her strip. She was made to relieve herself and then her mom filled two buckets with cold water, lifted the first one and emptied it over her head. Pia began to shiver. It was summer but the water was cold. Her mom picked up the second bucket and threw the water at her. Then she threw her a towel and made her dry herself. Pia emerged from the bathroom, naked and shivering and her mom handed her a white blouse and petticoat. She put those one and proceeded to wear the white sari.

At 6 am, their car pulled up at the gate of the monastery. Two women, in orange robes and neatly tied hair appeared and escorted Pia inside. She was led to a room that had a straw mat and earthen water pot, as well as a steel bowl. "Please sit down," said one of the women while the other woman left the room. Pia sat down. The other woman appeared with a cup of tea and four crackers. "Please eat," she said, and both of them left the room, locking the door from the outside.

Pia ate slowly. She was hungry. She thought about the ten days her friend stayed with her while her parents had gone away on a pilgrimage. They spent most of that time in bed, naked except when she had to let the maid in or receive the food from the neighbors. She missed Sheetal's fragrance, the wonderful aroma between her legs, the smoothness of her private parts, compared to what Pia had down there. The two were a contrast, both were slender and toned, Pia thanks to yoga, both had long black hair but Sheetal had no hair on her body. Pia had never shaved or waxed, anywhere. Her bush tapered off into soft curls on her inner thigh and halfway to her navel. Her legs were covered in short hair and her armpits were full.

"Guruji will see you now," one of the women said after she opened the door.

"I have to use the bathroom," Pia said, needing to pee.

"Ask Guruji," came the response. Pia was led up some stone stairs to a room on the roof of the monastery. Before entering she could see the city in the distance. She waited outside the door.

"Come inside," came the order. Pia pushed the curtain aside and entered the darkened room. It smelt strongly of incense. She looked across to see the holy man sitting cross-legged on the bed. He was wearing nothing but a string of beads around his neck, and several threads around his wrist and one around his waist. His dreadlocked hair was tied up and to Pia's horror, he had an erection.

His eyes were closed as though he was concentrating. Pia struggled to compose herself, expecting him to throw himself on her.

He finally spoke, "Penance means absolute surrender to a higher power. Penance means no thoughts, no questions. Penance means no comforts. You will surrender all that you have and receive little in return."

Pia could not take her eyes off his erection. The tip of his shaft glistened in whatever sunlight streamed into the room. She had forgotten that she needed to pee.

He continued, "You actions were sinful. Your thoughts impure. You can be saved. You will be saved and sent on the right path. Please surrender what you have to me right now."

"I don't understand," Pia said, trembling, "I have brought nothing."

The holy man was silent. Eyes still closed, he moved his finger up and down, motioning towards Pia's clothes. "Surrender now," he said softly.

Pia unwrapped the sari and neatly folded it. She put it down on the floor. Her fingers trembling, her lips quivering, she unhooked the blouse and removed. His eyes remained closed even though her breasts were exposed. She untied the drawstring around her petticoat and let it drop to the floor. She folded everything and stood before him naked. His eyes remained closed.

"Please return to your room," he said. She slowly stepped out of his room, leaving her clothes behind. The two orange-clad women were waiting outside. Pia fought back tears. "I never asked about the toilet," she said. At the bottom of the stairs, one of the women opened a door. Inside there was a toilet, a hole in the ground. Pia squatted and peed. After she finished she was led back to her room. No one else saw her on the shameful walk back but this was just the beginning of her humiliation and suffering. She cried all day, softly. She wanted to refuse whatever food they brought her but she was hungry and needed her strength. She was taken out to pee two more times and when night fell she was left in darkness.

Pia lay awake on the straw mat. She expected the holy man or one of his male minions to storm into her room to "correct her ways". She knew that resistance would be futile and she would need to submit and comply.

She thought about Sheetal's visit, the fact that her parents left them alone for ten days. She didn't feel guilty about betraying their trust. She had been shackled for way too long. Sheetal was always her only escape. She was never allowed to visit her house except for Sheetal's birthday. Even then her mother would come along. Sheetal had two older brothers so Pia wasn't allowed to visit. Sheetal would always come over, spend nights and weekends. They were classmates from the very beginning until Sheetal left to study abroad.

Now that she was visiting for the summer, she had all kinds of tales for Pia. But their love for each other remained undiminished. That first night, after Pia's parents finally went to bed and left them alone behind closed doors did Sheetal dish about her trysts with her college friends, the number of men she had slept with, the lesbian hookups, the shower raids in the dorm, the frat parties. Through all of that she had maintained a 4.0 GPA. Pia was envious, she asked lots of questions. When Pia asked her why she had packed so lightly for a ten day stay, Sheetal said, "Who needs clothes when we're together?" Sheetal borrowed a nightgown from Pia and crawled into bed with her. She leaned over and kissed Pia on the lips. Pia felt a fire burn through her. "I missed you," she whispered. "Same here," Sheetal responded, running her fingers over the outline of Pia's breasts. She took Pia's hand an guided it to her crotch, having pulled the nighgown up to her waist. "Feel this," she said, placing Pia's hands on her smooth pussy.

"No hair," Pia said, stroking Sheetal's moist pussy lips.

"That's a Brazilian," Sheetal said, "Want one? I know a place here that does it."

"No, I can't," said Pia, "did it hurt?"

"The first time. But it's better than shaving. Plus men like it smooth."

"Maybe when I get married my husband will want me to do it," Pia said.

Sheetal closed her eyes and moaned as Pia worked her fingers into her. "What are we going to do for ten days?" Pia asked as her fingers grew wet and sticky.

"This and a lot more," said Sheetal.

A lot more is exactly what they did. After Pia's parents were gone, Sheetal brought out the vibrator and introduced Pia to its wonders. During the ten days, Sheetal rarely emerged from the room. On the first day Pia told the maid not to bother coming back until the last day. She even went to the neighbors and said that they should send food once a day since the two of them wouldn't eat much. So the food came around noon.

Pia's parents called twice a day. Conversations were brief but instructions were plenty, "do this," "don't do this."

In the morning Pia would get up and make tea and bring it to the room with a plate of crackers. She would emerge at noon to collect the food, which she would bring into the room. They would eat straight out of the containers and Pia would refrigerate the leftovers for dinner. Pia found the lack of routine liberating. It was the height of summer but Pia's room had no air-conditioning. They didn't complain. Pia's bathroom was also very basic, a hole and tap with two buckets. There was no sink or mirror. It stood out compared to the rest of the apartment. Neither Pia nor Sheetal complained. Once Sheetal had stripped off the nightgown on the first morning, she had no plans of wearing any clothes the entire time. She instructed Pia to do the same, barring the times she emerged from the room.

All of these thoughts ran through Pia's mind as she lay there in her new room, and finally fell asleep.

Pia was led out of her room to a bathing area. Still naked and now sore from lying on the floor, she quietly followed her orange-clad companion.

There was a toilet near the tank. Pia was asked to go and use it. After she emerged she was handed a stick and asked to chew on it to clean her mouth. Then she was given some tooth powder. After that she was given a bucket of cold water and a small piece of soap to bathe with. She did that while the other woman loosened her orange robe so that she had it going around herself once, while the other end was tied to a gate. Then she moved forward and poured water over herself, soaping her arms and legs, soaking half the cloth while the other half remained dry. After she bathed she carefully removed the wet half and wrapped the dry half around herself. Pia caught a glimpse of the woman's breasts in the process. She had long black hair which was now damp and she looked no older than 30.

After they finished, Pia was handed a length of thin white cloth. "Wrap this around yourself," the woman told her.

"Its not long enough," Pia said.

"Do what you can." Pia wrapped it around her waist, starting below her belly button. It went around once, ending well above her knees. She then threw the rest over her left shoulder, covering her breasts, only just.

"Good. Guruji will see you now." Pia went unaccompanied to the holy man's room. Inside, five men were waiting, each wearing a loin cloth. Incense burned and the other orange-clad woman from the previous day was sitting on the floor, eyes closed and chanting.

Pia felt exposed and vulnerable as all eyes were on her now. "Kneel," the holy man said, pointing to the center of the darkened room. Pia knelt down, making sure she didn't dislodge the cloth from her breasts.

"Penance doesn't just mean deprivation. It means correction. You have been sent here to be corrected. The process begins today," the holy man said, getting up. Pia could see that he was erect under his loin cloth. The second orange-clad woman joined the chanting. The holy man put his hand out and pulled Pia up.

"Close your eyes and pray for forgiveness." Pia felt a lump forming in her throat. She looked over to a shelf and saw Sheetal's vibrator. Her heart was racing. The chanting grew louder, the other men joined in. Pia was placed on the cot. The holy man removed his loin cloth exposing himself. Pia had taken the vibrator comfortably but he appeared to be bigger. He pulled her thighs apart and came closer. He was on top of her. She closed her eyes but no prayers came to her mind. He pulled a condom on. She felt the rubber against her pussy. He entered her with one quick motion, having pushed her legs into a folded position. He began to thrust, stretching her as the rubber rubbed against her. She kept her eyes closed the entire time. No sound escaped her lips.

One by one they entered her, five of them in all. The chanting continued throughout, the incense burned. The room emptied when the fifth one was finished. She was left in silence. She lay on the cot, pulling the cloth down to cover herself. It lasted all of twenty minutes. It felt like hours.

She lay motionless, in silence, staring at the ceiling. The smell of incense was slowly subsiding. Then she heard one of the women speak.

"Sit up. Drink this. It'll make you strong." Pia slowly sat up. Her inside throbbed. All five men were awkward with their movements. She wasn't sure if one of them had even entered her. She drank the warm bitter concoction and washed it down with two cups of water.

"You did great," the woman said, "This will make your stay a lot less unpleasant." Pia said nothing. She began to feel sleepy. She lay down again and this time she drifted off to a deep slumber, only to be woken up by chanting. She opened her eyes to find the holy man back on top of her. He was alone this time, with the two women who continued to chant. After he finished she was escorted out of the room. She limped down the stairs, stopping at the toilet where she peed and washed herself. Then she walked gingerly to her room where she remained for the rest of the day and night, eating the food that was brought to her and peeing into a chamberpot.

They had her serving a gathering of elderly devotees. The guests were looking at her and whispering to one another. "Who is she?", "Why is she wearing next to nothing?" Pia crouched carefully to scoop food onto their banana leaves, keeping her knees closed.

"She is pure," one of the orange-clad women reassured the guests, "She is doing penance here, hence the attire." People seemed relieved but kept eying her like she was from another planet.

When the holy man made his appearance after the meal Pia was clearing out the banana leaves and wash bowls. Everyone rushed to pay their respects as he stood by the door. Pia left the eating area to finish cleaning up. After she was done she paused to drink water. She had been here for eight days now. Each day had brought the exact same routine and experience. She expected a change in the routine but nothing had happened yet.

The two orange-clad women appeared in the kitchen where Pia was leaning against a wall. "Guruji needs to see you." Pia hurried back to the room where the guests had gathered. The holy man sat cross-legged on a small stool, clad in a loin cloth with many strings of beads hanging from his neck. "Stand next to me," he told Pia.

"She entered adulthood and strayed. Poisonous thoughts were entered into her mind by a misguided friend. Thoughts foreign and filthy. It led to actions foreign and filthy." He held up the vibrator for all to see. "Self pleasure and lesbianism," he said to gasps and groans. "Widow her," one man screamed. The holy man held up his hand to calm the gathering.

"We are correcting her ways and will send her back pure and chaste, ready for marriage."

"He has sex with me," Pia blurted out, "every day, with his helpers."

The holy man turned his head and caught the eye of one of the orange-clad women. He nodded his head. She moved closer.

"He has sex with me! He is not pure himself!" Pia cried out as the woman tapped her on the shoulder while the gathering yelled and screamed at her. "Come with me, you need rest," she said, leading Pia out as Pia continued to scream out, "He's a fraud!" over ad over again.

"Do not anger him," the woman admonished Pia as they stood at the bottom of the stairs. "Remove your cloth," she said. Pia resisted briefly but then she took it off and flung it to the ground. The woman opened a door that was knee high. "Get inside," she told Pia, who dropped to her knees and crawled into the tiny space. She closed the door and put the bolt in place. Pia was in a space where she could sit cross-legged and her head was six inches from the ceiling. The only light came in through the two inch gap at the bottom of the door.

There was a small drain near the center of the floor. Every morning Pia was led to the toilet where she also had access to water for a minimal wash. Three times a day a bowl of water was pushed into the cell. In the morning there were crackers floating in the water, in the afternoon there was plain rice and in the evening there were two flatbreads.