She said no. She said no once, twice, thrice and she doesn’t even remember how many times. However, he didn’t listen. Not once did he listen. He thought she was just kidding because they’d done this before so many times. What could be the problem now?

They were walking down the stairs and he suddenly stopped and grabbed her. She asked him what he was trying to do and while laughing he just tried to kiss her. She put a hand on his mouth and took a step back. She asked him to back off. He didn’t budge. He tried again. She pushed him back and said NO. He laughed it off and begged her for just one kiss. She should’ve slapped him but she didn’t. She said NO. She politely asked him to back off and let her go. He didn’t move and tried again. Holding her wrists aggressively so she couldn’t move. She pushed him aside and ran. He didn’t understand what the problem was since they’d done this before.

The difference this time was that she didn’t want to. This time, she had said NO.

However, the next time they met, he had probably forgotten about the whole incident and didn’t even bother to think about the fact that he had done something wrong. But for her, it left a scar. Every single time she saw him, all she could think about was that she had said no and he hadn’t listened and moreover, this was a person she knew. This was a person she trusted. What if its a stranger she doesn’t even know next time?

But, what is the point in all of this?

The point is that consent matters. Just because someone is willing to do something at one point of time does not mean that the person is obligated to do it again. When someone says no, you need to respect it and move on. Nobody has the right to push a person to do something he or she doesn’t desire too. Respect it. You might leave a scar on someone without meaning to. What might not even cross your thoughts might haunt someone for a really long time.

No Means No.