The phone calls started innocently enough, or so I thought. My cousin, Rohan, just 25, always had a wild streak, but he was family, and we talked often. When he planned his birthday trip to Thailand last year, I just wished him a good time. He came back raving, talking non-stop about the “adventure” – specifically, about paying sex workers. As a 21-year-old Indian woman, his casual recounting of these encounters always made me uncomfortable, a knot tightening in my stomach. It felt disrespectful, not just to the women, but to our family values. Still, I’d just listen, offer a non-committal hum, and try to change the subject. He was my cousin, after all.
My Cousin’s Horrifying Confession: A Secret That Haunts Me
Published Anonymously
Submitted by a real person and published with their consent. Identity is never revealed.