Not a very nice thing to say, no? Because it is thinking of only women and girl-children; it is not inclusive of fathers and their sons, right?

Well, has there ever been a time when fathers, along with their wives, have not impressed upon their sons, almost conditioned them into thinking, that they—the male—possess that magnificent trump card: the power of choice? Mothers tell their daughters only this: the male will come and choose from a sea of simpering young girls like you; on a white charger he will come and whisk you off your feet, please perfect the art of simpering till he arrives.

The male and his magnificent trump card: that power of choice. So now, before he ‘settles down’, and even during and after, he also chooses little boys. But will this be enough proof for the parents of young males that they need to explain to their sons that they need to behave with other mothers’ daughters, and other people’s sons too? If those parents had done this before, maybe the statistics would not be as bad as they are today? And now that the world is turning on its head, or so it may seem to the parents of only sons, with older—and much elder—men actively seeking out little boys, what should the mothers and daughters feel?

But back to welcome signs, another one: men who have been sexually abused in childhood are also turning to psychiatrists. Dr Sujit Ghosh, whose clientele is predominantly from the middle and upper socio-economic section of Calcutta, is actively involved in the area of male sexual health as well. Therefore, men seeking help on issues related to sexual orientation and preferences are also being referred to him. Says he, ‘Some heterosexual men who have come to me have revealed incidents of sexual abuse in their childhood. And some men with same sex preferences, who are not as yet comfortable with their sexual identities, at times do attribute it to their same-sex experiences in childhood.’

The psychiatrists from the University of Toronto and the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, referred to in the earlier chapter, also say: ‘Greater long-term harm is associated with abuse involving a father or stepfather and abuse involving penetration. Longer duration is associated with greater impact, and the use of force or threat is associated with greater harm.’

Savio would not even understand if all of this was very patiently explained to him; he is being exhorted to see a good psychiatrist but he will not do it. He was sexually abused by his stepfather for a long time; ironically, Savio’s mother remarried as a very young widow so that her son would not feel his father’s loss. When little Savio threatened to tell his grandfather, his stepfather held a knife to his penis, he smiled broadly as he said this, ‘I will cut it off if you do’.

Savio is now a male model. He changes girlfriends often. He cannot get an erection to have sex with them without thinking of his stepfather buggering him. He beats up his girlfriend and then changes her for another because of this. He pumps iron, he exercises to the point where his body looks like steel. Often he and his close friend, a homosexual by choice, get together and hang out, sometimes Savio asks him to make love to him. At such times, when Savio is ejaculating he weeps-cries-shudders out just one word.