Editor's note: this story contains scenes of non-consensual or reluctant sex.
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We are a family of four members. Myself the eldest son is 22, my younger sister Roshni is 20, my mother is 44 and my father 57. There is a paradox about my mother and sister. My mother, though 44, looks younger and can easily pass as 36 or 37. She is slim and even at this age has maintained her figure. In contrast, Roshni, though only 20 is slightly bulky with buxom bosom that anyone can think her to be in mid-twenties.
My paternal grandfather died two years back and we have a custom of ritual at Gaya in Bihar were some offerings are made by the son of the deceased for the salvation of the soul of the deceased. Our father being extremely ritualistic decided to complete the formalities last winter. We all accompanied him and after the rituals were over we decided to visit some tourist destinations in UP for a fortnight and then return to our place.
After the rituals at Gaya were over, we moved to UP and our trips went on well during the first one week. On the second week we missed the night luxury bus which we were to board for our next journey because we were late in arriving at the boarding point. Now missing the bus once was to upset our entire tour programme for the coming days.
However, the tour operator suggested that we hire a car and catch the bus at the next stoppage, where it would halt for about an hour. But no cars were ready to go and as someone frankly told, some areas of the cow belt are not safe for night journey.
We had almost given up the hope and were thinking about looking for a hotel, when a 14 seater minibus came looking for prospective passengers. However, looking at the 4 of us the conductor said that they already had four passengers making the total to eight and that it would start only if it gets four more because without minimum 12 passengers its fuel cost would be higher than the fares.
As we had urgency to catch the luxury bus, my father offered that he would pay the extra fare of four persons so that the bus owner won't be at loss. After some initial hesitation the driver agreed to ply the bus.
We boarded the bus. Mini buses are not comfortable but we had no option. Me and my sister occupied the front row just at the entrance while our parents were in the second row of the same side. There were four more passengers who appeared to be the workers of some factory and as we got acquainted it was known that three of them were working in a sugar factory while the fourth one was a painter. They were humble and gentle. One of them even told my father, "You should have avoided the journey with family in this route."
Our bus ran for about an hour and at around 9 PM it reached a turning and took the right turn. It had hardly ran two kilometers from the turning when some people signalled the bus to stop. The driver looked carefully before putting the bus to a halt. There were six persons two of whom looked like ascetics (sadhus) with saffron cloth wrapped round their body and four others with them in white traditional dresses who looked like their disciples or followers.
The two in saffron dresses had long clotted hairs and chains of rudraksha around their necks. One of them had bushy beards on his face and was taller than his fellow person. Both had marks of sandal paste on their foreheads and on their nose bridge. Both had well built bodies like gymnasts. Their four followers were carrying some luggage in their hands. They were all tall and well built so that one could think them to be wrestlers.
After surveying them from the running bus the driver brought the bus to a halt. The conductor opened the door and the new passengers boarded the bus. The two persons in saffron dress took their seats in the front row of the right side just at the back of the driver's seat while their followers took two rows at the back of their gurus.
The conductor while shutting the door said to the driver, "We have passengers to the full capacity. No need to stop anymore to pick up passengers even if anyone raises hand."
My parents who were extremely religious persons were elated at the arrival of the ascetics and my father even murmured that it was good to travel with such persons. I did not like their appearance for no specific reason and they seemed like knaves to me.
My father, however, insisted that we offer our regards to the ascetics in the traditional way by touching their feet. I did not like the idea but at his insistence we all paid our regards to the two bowing our heads and touching their feet.
As we bowed, the ascetics put their hands on the heads of me and my father uttering some blessings in Sanskrit. But what I disliked was that when my mother and sister bowed their heads to pay regards, both lifted their faces by touching their chins and then uttered some long blessings while looking at their faces. I did not like their looks but could not share it with anyone.
After the bus ran for about an hour, the followers of the ascetics requested the conductor to stop the bus for a while to respond to the nature's call. The bus stopped. Except the two ascetics and my mother and sister, all others got down to relieve their bladder. But when we boarded again we found that the shorter ascetic had occupied the seat beside my mother while the taller one with beards had shifted beside my sister.
We were about to protest when we noticed that the conductor of the bus along with four other passengers were tied and were being pushed at the gun point towards the last seats by two followers of the ascetics while the two others were holding their revolvers at the back of me and my father and ordered us to seat on the right side seats. I became sure that those who appeared to be ascetics and their followers were actually rogues or could be robbers running away from police under the appearance of ascetics.
They pushed me to the front row window side on the right and one of the followers sat on the aisle side beside me with his revolver pointed at me. On the front row of left side was my sister on the window side and beside her the taller ascetic with beards holding a sharp dagger at her throat.
Another man in white dress had pushed my father in the second row of the right side and he himself set beside my father. His revolver was pointed at the head of my father. My mother, who was in the second row of left side, was being threatened by the shorter ascetic with his dagger pointing at her stomach.
In the meantime, the four other passengers along with the conductor were tied together by other two fellows and were made to sit at the back and the two gunmen returned to the driver and pointing the gun at him instructed him to drive the bus according to their guidance.