Hiranthi's Education

Hiranthi Bandara Seneviratne recently received a scholarship to do a three-year postgraduate doctoral program in Pathology at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia. This is a program many young pathologists aspire to get into. Hiranthi first obtained a first-class upper pass in her undergraduate degree with the University Of Colombo, Sri Lanka. After that, she scored the highest marks in the examination to select a scholarship candidate. She knew her hard work and her systematic approach to studies brought her to this position. She could not help appreciating the coaching she had from Ms. Devika Samarakone many years ago. After failing miserably in her first two attempts, Devika guided her through the Advanced level examination. Despite the benefit, the chapter with Devika in her life was something she wanted to erase from her mind. She thought she was stripped of her dignity and pride during that period. It was a period during which, on the pretext of helping her in her studies, she was subjected to humiliations, severe canings, and punishments.

Hiranthi was naturally a brilliant girl. She has been performing well in school until GCE Ordinary level. She was considered a bright student in Devi Balika Vidyalaya, Colombo 8. She got admitted to Devi Balika by scoring high marks in the grade 5 scholarship examinations. She was always among the first three positions in class rankings. Unlike her friends, she was neither a person who studied for long hours nor one who went to many tuition (additional help) classes. She just had a natural talent for memorizing what was taught in school. After obtaining "A' Grade passes in 9 out of the 10 subjects, she chose to follow her Advanced Level studies in the science stream.

Hiranthi's father was a senior petroleum engineer in a state-owned firm. He tried to persuade her to pursue a career in engineering. On the other hand, her mother wanted her to do science subjects and attempt to enter medical school. Knowing the difference between the workloads in OL & AL, Hiranthi's mother suggested that they seek the assistance of the daughter of Mrs. Samarakone. Devika Samarakone taught physics for the advanced level stream in a famous boys' school in Maradana. Devika and her mother were known to Hiranthi's family as they lived in the same suburb in Mount Lavinia. The senior Mrs. Samarakone also had been a contemporary of Hiranthi's mother when they were at Visaka Vidyalaya, Colombo.

Hiranthi was not willing to get the help of Devika for several reasons. Although Devika was good 10 years senior to Hiranthi, they had many familiar friends in the neighborhood. Among the neighbors, Hiranthi was considered to be the brightest. Hiranthi was also of the opinion that she did not need the help of a teacher as she had already done very well in the GCE Ordinary Level exam without such support. There was another reason for her reluctance to get Devika involved. Hiranthi was uncomfortable with her as she thought Devika showed too much interest in her. She used to make an awkward comments on Hiranthi's looks, how she walked, etc. While she would have been pleased to be admired that way by a male, she felt uncomfortable with the interest Devika showed

They used to meet at the bus stop or on their rides to and from their respective schools. Some of the questions Devika used to ask her made Hiranthi blush. More than once, she wanted to know whether teachers in Devi Balika Vidyalaya used the cane on naughty students. Those days the cane was of occasional use at her school. As a 17-year-old, Hiranthi did not feel comfortable discussing them with anyone. She avoided such questions or gave evasive responses to them. Another time Devika would want to know whether the girls were caned on their buttocks or palms. While she knew there were a couple of teachers who caned students on the buttocks, it was not a topic she wanted to discuss with Devika or anyone. She pretended not to know, saying the canings were not carried out in the presence of other students. One day there was a shortage of buses, and both of them were stuck in the bus halt past the start time of school. Devika used the opportunity to continue her inquisition on punishments. That day she wanted to know how the latecomers were punished in Devi Balika. She said she didn't realize how Devika wished to know if Hiranthi would get the cane today as she was late to school.

Although there were instances when canings were used to discourage late comings, Hiranthi did not like to discuss the topic. When a response to her awkward question was not forthcoming, glancing at Hiranthi's behind, Devika said that if she ever gets transferred to Hiranthi's school as a teacher, she will regularly cane Hiranthi on her buttocks. She had also said she could make a good girl out of Hiranthi by caning her buttocks. Hiranthi was so embarrassed by Devika's comments about caning her buttocks. From that day, she made extraordinary efforts to avoid Devika or having to talk to her. At that age of innocence, Hiranthi could not comprehend why someone would want to cane another person or talk about that. All she knew of canings were a painful punishment inflicted on children to extract obedience and good school work.

When her mother suggested seeking help from Devika for her studies, she wanted to avoid that at any cost. She insisted that she did not need any assistance from Devika. She did that by convincing her mother that she could do good in the Advanced Level exam independently. In a way, she believed that she would be able to handle the higher-level exam as she did the OLs. This, however, was not to be. Her habit of not having a systematic approach to studies and exams backfired in her Advanced Level studies. Subjects such as Chemistry, Physics, Biology, and Zoology require a methodical approach to get the hang of the volume.

When her scores in the monthly assessment examination went down, she hid that from her parents. She pretended that she was doing reasonably well in school. When all other avenues failed, she resorted to seeking help from her friends. This was by way of letting her cheat (copy) in examinations. As she was known to be a bright student, the teachers did not suspect foul play. She bribed her friends with many things they didn't have access to, such as comic books, money, etc. As Hiranthi's mother worked as a senior medical officer in a government Para medical institution, she did not have the time to follow Hiranthi up on her studies. Her mom had to organize or attend many conferences here and abroad. She was also required to undertake extensive traveling within the country. Hiranthi's father, too, was not the type who would take a day off to go to her school. He didn't even attend parents' teacher conferences regularly. Although this was good for some time, Hiranthi knew she would be exposed when she had to sit for the government-conducted Advanced Level examination.

Consequently, she was so far behind at the time of AL exams. Knowing the outcome of sitting for the exam, she pretended to be sick on the first day of the examinations. She complained of unbearable stomach cramps. Although the doctors, who examined her, found nothing wrong with her physically, they assumed that it could be due to depression. Hence they advised the parents against forcing her to go through the exam as she ran the risk of having a mental breakdown. With this prognosis, the school allowed Hiranthi to forego sitting for the examination that year.

Hiranthi had to join the junior class where the students were to sit for the examination the following year. There she did not have her trustworthy friends. Hence, she could not repeat what she had done in the previous year. Therefore, she did make a genuine effort to study more hours than she previously did. It, too, did not work as she had not trained her mind to learn in an exam-oriented manner. She only managed to score very low marks during the term tests. Gradually the teachers and her parents accepted that she would not do well in her advanced studies. They knew that she would not be able to take into a university. Once again, Hiranthi's mother mentioned the subject of getting Devika's help. Hiranthi insisted that her plan was to get good scores in the government exam, although she did not do in school. She promised that she would somehow do better regarding the final exam. She managed to live a lie until the final grades of the examination were announced. Hiranthi only managed to get two simple passes for Botany and Physics.


Having done everything she knew, Hiranthi was not sure of getting any better outcome if she repeated the exam. Her parents, however, insisted that she makes another attempt at it. They enrolled her in private tuition classes conducted by popular teachers of that era, such as M/S Reginald Senviratna, Asanga Abeysundera, and H.R. Nonis. Most lectures were held in the evenings or on weekends in a private academy situated on Railway Avenue, Nugegoda. A few weeks after she started attending these classes, her mother mentioned that Devika's mother had offered the help Devika insisting that she would be able to help Hiranthi get better grades. With her aversion to Devika in the back of her mind, Hiranthi did not see any value in getting her help. Her plan of succeeding in the exam continued to be attending the lectures, making her own notes, and revising those couple of weeks before the examination. This time, too, Hiranthi succeeded in fending off Devika's attempt to get involved in her education. She once again made a genuine effort to study for longer hours. Unfortunately, she found the vast volume of topics that had to be covered in four advanced-level subjects overwhelming. After a lapse of another year, she only managed to get two 'C' grade passes and two 'S' grade passes. Although she had managed to do better than the previous year, her scores were insufficient to get acceptance for University studies.

That was her second attempt at the Advanced Level examination. Hiranthi's mother knew that many of Hiranthi's friends who were academically below her standard in Ordinary level classes were in the second year of medical school after getting 3 to 4 'A' grade passes. Many of her cousins and friends were either at university or had found employment in private sector companies. Some had given up science studies and pursued professional studies in Chartered Accountancy or marketing. Hiranthi, who was now 20 years old, was too frustrated with the state of affairs. With incomes from state jobs, her parents did not have sufficient funds to send her overseas for higher studies. This was long before local branches of foreign universities and private schools such as SAITM, SLIIT, or APIIT were set up in Sri Lanka. The extended family gatherings became somewhat humiliating and belittling to Hiranthi. The parents and kids were boasting of their achievements, while Hiranthi was the only clan member who had not gone beyond the A. Level. Hiranthi then attempted to convince her mother to let her start a professional course in Human Resource Management as that was a field at that time getting popular in Sri Lanka. Hiranthi's mother was not going to have any of it. Her intention was to make her child pursue a University education or, if that fails, get her married as soon as possible. Although Hiranthi was not against having a man in her life, she was not ready to get married and settle to be a housewife. She didn't want to end up there when her friends, with newfound freedom as University Students or as employed, were having much fun in their lives.

She decided to make one last attempt at the Advanced Level examination with nowhere to turn. Meanwhile, having got to know the not-so-satisfactory outcome of Hiranthi's second attempt in A.L., Devika personally visited Hiranthi's mother. Hiranthi was not at home that day. In her absence, Devika had convinced Hiranthi's mom that with her guidance, Hiranthi would make good in A.L.s and had offered to guide Hiranthi on her exam preparation. She had guaranteed her success, provided she was allowed to use whatever means necessary. When Hiranthi got home that evening, she had to face the staunchest canvassing on Devika's involvement in her studies. Her mother insisted that Hiranthi take the guidance and support of Devika. To her utter discomfort, her mother was repeating what Devika had told her about guaranteeing that Hiranthi would get into the university if she was given the freedom to use 'whatever means necessary. She knew that her mother had no clue of Devika's ulterior motives. Hiranthi was sure that Devika had meant the authority to cane her by using the phrase 'whatever means necessary. She could not gather enough courage to tell her mother about Devika's comments about wanting to cane her. Not having an acceptable excuse, she finally had to succumb to the pressure mom was exerting. Another factor also contributed to her agreement, this time to be helped by Devika. To enter a Sri Lankan university, a candidate must score the required marks within 3 attempts. As she has already used two of them, this was going to be her last attempt. Therefore, she didn't want to leave room for her parents to accuse her of not taking all possible help when Devika willingly offered support. She knew that her mother would use that to push her for an early marriage if and when she failed this time. Her mother was naturally ecstatic when Hiranthi agreed to get the assistance of the daughter of her dear friend. She quickly phoned Devika and invited her along with her mother to come to their home for dinner on the following day.

Hiranthi dreaded the prospect of Devika being in charge of her life for one year. She knew Devika would mentally and physically humiliate her. She knew that Devika would find excuses to cane her and relish the opportunity to do so. Her words three years ago that she would cane Hiranthi's buttocks were reverberating in her ears once again. She blushed profusely, thinking been 20 years of age, the prospect of undergoing a caning on her buttocks for punishment. She, however, did not have any other options. The dinner was not as bad as Hiranthi expected it to be. Devika presented a pleasant and friendly face in front of her and Hiranthi's parents. During the dinner, the two mothers were reminiscing about their school days and all the activities they were involved in while in school together. Hiranthi could not help thinking about how simple life had been during her mother's time. Most students then had secured good higher education opportunities without much effort.

After dinner, Devika's mother talked about mundane things over coffee. Meanwhile, Devika wanted to speak to Hiranthi and Hiranthi's mom privately about the modalities of her involvement in Hiranthi's studies. While she was mostly talking about an extensive program for exam preparation, Devika was stressing that much wothat much work must she was serious about succeeding. She gave details of the type of guidance for exam preparation in the boys' school she teaches. According to her, the boys had to agree on weekly, monthly, and quarterly targets in both areas of studies and the marks they had to score in mock and term exams. The school ensured the students stuck to their agreement using a carrot and stick method. According to Devika, canings given on their bottoms positively impacted the boys as many of them were getting better in their studies. The students who showed gradual improvement were given 'stars' for recognition, while those who did not meet the targets were punished by caning. Hiranthi saw a glee in Devika's eyes when she described how the students had to line up at the deputy principal's office on Friday evenings to be caned on their backsides. Although Devika was facing Hiranthi's mother's direction, she glanced at Hiranthi once in a while as if to see her reactions to her description of the punishments. It was uncomfortable and embarrassing for Hiranthi to be listening to these details in front of her own mom. Also, She thought that Devika was not telling the truth as she had never heard of Advanced Level boys being caned at school.

Encouraged by the silence of Hiranthi and of her mother, Devika stressed that if she was to accept the responsibility of getting Hiranthi into a university, she should also be given the authority and discretion to reward or punish the performance as appropriate. Hiranthi felt an inexplicable feeling that she thought was a mix of anger and embarrassment. When Devika commented about wanting to cane Hiranthi's buttocks, she was only 16 or 17 years old. She is now a grown-up woman of 20. She had not heard of 20-year-olds being caned. Hiranthi's parents were progressive people and didn't resort to corporal punishment when she was growing up. Hence Hiranthi was shocked and disappointed that her mother agreed to Devika's 'demands.'

Hiranthi's mother's comments were limited to saying how happy she was that Devika was willing to help Hiranthi. She was grateful to Devika for her 'selflessly' undertaking to help Hiranthi despite her busy work as an Advanced Level teacher. Her mother didn't mention the punishments, so she thought she may have consented to Hiranthi's disciplines. Even if she hadn't, she knew Devika would interpret her silence on that specific issue as an acceptance. Hiranthi was also wondering whether her mother had only heard the part about rewarding the excellent performance. She thought that mom may have not adequately comprehended the role of 'punishing the bad performance,' which is most likely relevant in Hiranthi's case. She was thoroughly confused, embarrassed, and frightened at the same time. She was so tense that she could not say anything or oppose someone outside the family being given blanket authority to punish her. After the 'chat,' her mother and Devika walked arm in arm back to the hall. The rest of the time, Hiranthi was withdrawn from the conversation as the prospect of Devika having the authority to cane her was difficult for her to come to terms with. After the visitors left, Hiranthi thought of telling her mother what Devika had told her many years ago about wanting to cane her behind. She, however, could not gather herself enough to do that. It was not a topic that a daughter would find easy to discuss with a mother. Ultimately she thought that she would go along with what would happen. She, however, decided that if Devika punishes her unreasonably or if she manages to get some kind of solid evidence of her dubious intentions to confront her mother with it.

Devika's guidance sessions were held on Mondays and Fridays of the week. For this, most of the time, Devika came to Hiranthi's place. When she was busy, Hiranthi had to go to Devika's house, which was 600 meters away. The sessions started uneventfully, except Hiranthi was told to address Devika as 'Teacher' rather than by her name. Hiranthi, too, saw some sense in it and had no qualms about calling her 'Teacher.' Gradually Hiranthi began to realize the value of the organized and methodical approach Devika was guiding her. She was required to get copies of each subject's syllabus and organize her notes under each topic.

After that, Devika spent many hours with Hiranthi going through the past exam papers. This was to identify the examiners' pet ears and comprehend the examining patterns. Hiranthi realized the flaws of the amateurish nature she prepared herself for the exams in previous attempts. She hence faithfully followed everything she was asked to do. Towards the end of the first month, Hiranthi was beginning to like Devika and appreciate the help she was giving. She was looking forward to the sessions. She was made to read on the topics before she attended lectures. she realized that comprehending what was taught in the tuition class was becoming easier. The courses she was attending hence became more productive. She began having doubts that she may have been wrong in her presumption of Devika's intentions. As she knows how to do exam-oriented studies, she was sure she could do much better this time.

After three months or so after the first session, Devika came with a thin but long cane one day. Hiranthi's fingers began to shiver, and her mouth went dry when she saw the long, thin, yellow instrument of torture. Although she attempted to speak, no words came to her mouth. She could not hold the pen properly as she was feeling so tense. She naturally began to wonder why she was going to be caned because she knew she had not committed an offense. Devika casually placed the thin cane on the side of the table and calmly went on to check Hiranthi's books. Hiranthi had done everything she was required to do that week. She was sure there were no faults Devika could find to cane her for. Towards the end of the session, Devika sat back and looked at Hiranthi like a butcher would look at a lamb about to be slaughtered. She said, "You must be wondering why I brought a cane?" as if she was expecting a response from Hiranthi. In the absence of a reaction from Hiranthi, she continued. "I brought this cane to leave it with you," she said. "I know you have improved a lot since we started." "Now, it is a matter of maintaining the momentum." "Now you know how to study." I want to hold practice tests to prepare you". "I will use this cane if and when required and especially to push you for higher scores." "You have done well up to now." Although 'her having done well' was a compliment, due to the context it was used, it did not make her happy. Therefore she continued to be silent. Devika, on the other hand, continued with her speech. "You have nothing to worry about as long as you do not make mistakes or disobey my instructions." "If you are found lazy or lagging behind, I will not hesitate to cane you thoroughly." When she heard that, Hiranthi choked due to fear of being caned. Devika used a stern tone to insist that what she was saying was not up for negotiation. "I cane hard, and after a caning from me for days, you will not be able to sit on your haunches." Hiranthi was getting increasingly tensed and red-faced when the talk got into the actual caning. She felt like a small kid hauled in front of a strict teacher. What embarrassed Hiranthi most was what Devika said next. "Remember, I will not hesitate to remove your clothes to cane you." "I know you are 20, but you have no reason to be embarrassed". "I knew you from childhood, and I have seen you naked as a baby." Hiranthi was not brought up where undressing and nakedness were discussed with others. Devika was not only talking about removing her clothes to make her buttocks naked and also hitting the buttocks with a cane. She felt feverish. The verbal humiliation she has been subjected to made her heart pound fast. Finally, Devika told Hiranthi to keep the cane in her room to remind her of the canings if she did not do what she was told to.

Hiranthi could not get any sleep that night. Several times she sat on the bed to look at the cane she kept under her mattress. She held the cane in her hand and realized how whippy it was. She noticed it was much longer than she had seen in school. She didn't know whether she could cope with being hit with it. As she had not been caned before, she didn't know what to expect if and when she was made to undergo one. In the following session, Devika brought the subject of punishments and canings for discussion. Hiranthi, at one point, began to think that the actual canings, albeit painful, may not be as humiliating as talking of the canings. She knew she would be the loser in Devika's cat and mouse games. She knew that she would be caned very soon on some pretext. In the months that followed, Hiranthi's fears came true. Devika caned her many times. As both her parents were at work, no one else was in the house during the canings. The sessions were held in the dining room on the ground floor. Hiranthi had to bring the cane down for the sessions. For punishments, she was always marched to her own bedroom on the upper floor. Canings comprised of 4-5 cuts across her clothed bottom. Devika, while caning hard, also used to have 30 or 45-second gaps between the cuts. When Hiranthi inspected her behind in the mirror at night, she had seen 5-6 parallel wets, each with a distance of a few centimeters. All cuts were in the mid to lower area of the buttocks.

She had to study four subjects, each with several subtopics. Therefore, Devika found it easy to find enough faults to cane her at least once a week. Hiranthi knew that she was only caned for her own mistakes. She also realized that, probably due to fear, her performance was improving leaps and bounds. This made her admit reluctantly that canings had been effective. She even felt that had her parents used the cane on her to push her in her studies, she would have done better long before. She also became convinced that had she agreed to take Devika's help the first time it was offered, she would have been in the University by now. She was, however,, unsure whether she could have undergone those severe canings as a 17-year-old.

Hiranthi came home from work early as friends had organized a party to celebrate her winning the scholarship. She realized she had spent over an hour reminiscing her AL days and punishments. She got ready quickly and got into her car. She had to get to the venue soon as she didn't want to keep her friends waiting. Although it was around 7 in the evening, she could see many students returning from tuition classes. She remembered the time when she was oneA.L.f them. She remembered many of the girls having boyfriends. They were hanging around for several hours before they got to their homes. She didn't have that luxury when she was a student. She could only think of what was discussed in the class on her way back. This method of immediate recall helped her to remember what she had learned. It was Devika who taught her that technique. These instant revisions enabled her to do well in the mock exams Devika used to make her do. Even when she saw a good-looking boy and her mind temporarily got distracted, the thought of having to present her naked buttocks to Devika to be caned was strong enough motivation to rush her mind back to the lecture.

Remembering vividly the first time she was stripped to be caned, Hiranthi felt the blood rushing to her face. During that time, Hiranthi had to answer several past papers weekly. As Devika was a Physics teacher, she corrected the physics answer scripts. She had arranged to get her colleagues n her school to mark the Zoology, Botany, and Chemistry scripts. By this time, Hiranthi had become very good in physics due to Devika's guidance. She still had some issues with other subjects. She usually got the answer scripts she gave to Devika on a Monday the following Monday. Devika had brought the marked answer scripts on a Friday, and Hiranthi had scored much lower than the previous week. Hiranthi knew that she would be caned for it. That fateful day she was in a denim skirt and a white t-shirt. As customary, she was asked to take the offending answer scripts and march to her bedroom. Devika followed her with the cane in her hand. Hiranthi was a well-proportioned girl and had fairly prominent hips. She knew when she walked, her buttocks moved provocatively. She always thought while following her with a cane in hand, Devika must be enjoying the sight of her hips and contemplating on the caning she was going to give.

Seeing what she was in when they were going up the stairs, Devika had said that she was not going to waste her energy in caning her when she was in a thick skirt. Blood rushed to Hiranthi's face due to embarrassment when she heard that. When they reached her room, she quickly picked a thinner dress up to change into and removed her denim skirt. When she was about to put the other skirt on, Devika had said it was unnecessary to put that on, and she would cane her without a dress. Although she felt debased, Hiranthi had known all along that; eventually, it would come to this. Hiranthi was asked to raise the t-shirt to the armpits and stand near the bed. She only had her thin cotton underwear on to cover the nakedness of her lower back. She felt the usual tapping of the cane on the summit of her buttocks. She braced herself for the first stroke. She knew that, unlike the skirt, the thin cotton panty would not give any protection against the pain. She was relieved that the panties one's girl wore in that era covered a good part of her buttocks. Her relief, however, was short-lived. Withdrawing the cane, Devika issued a dreading order,, "tell you what, take those panties off." Her face began to heat up as she realized she was going to get this caning on the naked buttocks. Not only did she have to expose her buttocks to another adult, but also she had to let her cane them. This was too much for the 20-year-old. She wanted to resist but did not have enough resolve to confront a person holding a cane. Having no say in the matter, she humbly lowered her panties to the middle of her thighs, exposing her entire bottom area,, and pulled the t-shirt up. She realized this was the first time she had stood naked in front of someone else. She felt helpless in the naked state she was forced to be in. Her mind returned to what was going to happen when she felt the cane tapping on her bare buttocks. She felt the coldness of the cane on her naked flesh. Her buttocks twitched involuntarily. She was bracing for the first cane stroke on her naked buttocks. "Take them off completely," said Devika. "What? "Why? she asked. "Take your panties off !" Devika told in a way to show her displeasure at being confronted. "Hiranthi could not fathom why the panties had to be taken off entirely as her entire bottom was already fully exposed, and panties were down six inches below the point the buttocks and her legs met. She realized that Devika was trying to humiliate her as much as possible. She once again obeyed Devika and took her panties off her legs. She felt more embarrassed to be without panties than to have panties pulled down to her thighs. She felt deprived of the last bit of her dignity in that state. She felt vulnerable at the mercy of the person who had professed her liking to cane her buttocks. Now she is presenting her naked buttocks to her to do just that. The caning she got that day was more severe than many she had had before. By then, she was used to getting 5-6 cuts on her clothed buttocks. That day she was caned at least 11 times. The caning was also more forceful than on other days. Cane hitting her naked skin alone was more painful. There were no panties to hold her buttocks together, so she felt as if her buttocks were dancing violently with every stroke. She knew that Devika would cane her more if she let the t-shirt fall and used her hands to rub her buttocks. Writhing in pain, she kept holding her t-shirt high, exposing the entire behind of her 20-year-old self to be mercilessly flayed. She was howling like a small child throughout the caning. Hiranthi thought that having her naked below her chest level and seeing her bare and round buttocks for the first time may have exited Devika to make her cane more and more vigorously. She felt as if her full dignity as an adult had been stripped, and now she was reduced to a mere slip of a girl. After the caning, she felt thoroughly subdued.

The ritual of punishments changed from that day. She realized that Devika had liked the caning she gave her to her naked behind and wanted to continue that. During the sessions, Hiranthi was required to be in her pajamas. For canings, she was made to remove her pajama bottom and the panties off and fold the pajama shirt up all the way up to the armpits. Devika continued to cane her buttocks every time until she had satisfied her fancy. Hiranthi knew that Devika had controlled entirely her mind and body. She realized that Devika considered her buttocks her private territory to be tortured. She has taken Hiranthi's mind over to be dominated and play her games. She knew that she was caning Hiranthi to satisfy her sensual pleasures. Once Devika decided that Hiranthi should be caned, the severity of the fault did not matter anymore. Hiranthi's performance was improving so much that there was a point when she was wondering why she needed to be caned that severally and in that humiliating manner. Devika, however, continued to cane her using the tiniest of errors.

Some days Hiranthi was spanked instead of being caned. She has to lie on Devika's lap or face down on the bed. Devika would spank her buttocks with so much ferocity. Sometimes in between spanks, she would rest her hand on a buttock. Hiranthi could feel that Devika was mildly squeezing her buttock cheek. She thinks she was being used as a piece of meat for her sexual gratification. A few times, she was also caned after being made to lie face down on the bed. Such times Devika would insert a small pillow under Hiranthi's loins so that her buttocks are raised to meet the cane. She also introduced a ritual of regularly inspecting Hiranthi's buttocks. Before a tuition session began, Devika made Hiranthi turn around so she could lower the back of her pajama bottom to examine the effects of the previous caning. Devika would comment about the welts and ask Hiranthi whether it still hurts. Hiranthi knew it was only an excuse to see her bottom. She thought that Devika was enjoying looking at her buttocks like a small kid looking inside a bag for his favorite sweets. Hiranthi did not know what to do with the inappropriateness of the severity of the canings or the regular embarrassing inspections. She knew well that the canings had lost the punishment objective by that time. However, when she was not caning, Devika was very professional and passionately guided her studies.

On the days when she got caned, she used to get very angry with her mother. She felt that the mother was responsible for the torture she had to suffer at the hands of Devika. She, however, knew that her mother had no idea of Devika's regular merciless whippings. Her agitated mind made her fight with her mother over mundane matters. Hiranthi became so rude to her mother, and she always cried. Warning by her dad not to scold the mother angered her more. She, however, knew the mother could not be held responsible for her suffering. It was she that did not have the guts to tell her mother of the canings. Hiranthi's parents, on the other hand, were wondering whether her outbursts had anything to do with the depression she had suffered a couple of years ago. Sensing that Devika had the obedience of her daughter, she had told Devika of Hiranthi's outbursts and had told her to advise her to calm down. This had a disastrous consequence for Hiranthi. One day she was summoned to Devika's house. She went there without knowing what she had done wrong or what was in store. She realized that Devika was alone at home. Seeing her coming in, Devika started scolding Hiranthi for shouting at her mother. Hiranthi realized that her mother had told Devika of her outbursts. That day Devika looked and sounded menacing. She pulled Hiranthi from her hair and slapped her several times. Not satisfied with the fear she had instilled in Hiranthi, she ordered her to strip naked to be taught a good lesson.
Hiranthi didn't know what to do or say but knew she was in for a good thrashing. Devika went to a room and returned, carrying two long whippy canes. The sight of this woman holding long rods made her pee in her pants. Devika caned the side of Hiranthi's thighs several times, demanding to know why she had not stripped as she was told to. Crying uncontrollably due to pain and fear, Hiranthi quickly removed her lower garments.

Meanwhile, another swipe of the canes cut her at the same place on her thighs. Devika told her to remove everything thing that she was wearing. Even when pulling the blouse and the bra, Devika was already caning her thighs and legs mercilessly. Hiranthi was ordered to remove her earrings, bangles, and even her hairpins. Finally, she stood there in her birthday suit with nothing on her other than her skin and hair. Devika dragged Hiranthi in that naked form to a room and tied her hands to a window railing. Then like a possessed woman, she commenced flaying Hiranthi on her buttocks, legs, and thighs. Her nether region hitherto has never experienced such torture. Hiranthi lost count of the number of strokes she had endured. She did not have the strength to cry or protest. Her whole body was going numb. The pain was so intense that she lost consciousness after about 20 minutes of merciless whipping. When she regained consciousness, she was on Devika's bed. Devika told her that if she ever scolds her parents again, she would get a double dose of what she got that day. This put mortal fear into Hiranthi. The welts of the thrashing remained for about 3 weeks. She wore long sleeve shirts and long pants during that period to hide the scars. During the following weeks, there was no caning during the study sessions.

Regular caning commenced after about 6 weeks, and at that time, Hiranthi was so meek she would do anything,, and everything Devika told her to do. She pretended to be humble towards her parents as she knew that if she lost her temper and her mother complained to Devika, another dose of whipping was in store for her. She resigned to her fate and concentrated on her studies. The only saving grace was it was only 2 more months to go for the exams, and she knew she wouldn'tl is out of Devika's grip after that. Her resolve and endurance of the abuse resulted in her obtaining one "A" pass and 3 "B" Passes on the exam. She studied and did so many past papers and practice exams in a manner she never thought she was capable of. Devika had told her she would cane her for a week if she didn't score B passes in all subjects. Whether due to that threat or for wanting an end to the whole saga, Hiranthi succeeded in the ALs. She also got accepted to the University of Colombo to follow a degree program in pathology. On the day she got her acceptance letter from the University, Hiranthi and her mother went to Devika's place to thank her. Devika hugged Hiranthi and patted her bottom on the sly as if to remind her of all the canings she was given by her in that area. At that time, there was a delay of about two years between the time a student completes the ALs and university admisA.L.sn. During that time, Hiranthi managed to find a job at Hayleys Ltd. She was 23 or so when she started her first year at the University. She thought the work also helped her regain her self-confidence and dignity.

After about a month of starting the university sessions, when she got home on a Friday, she found Devika at her home and chatting with her mother. Although it had been two years since her last caning when she saw Devika, A.L.santhi went pale and weak. She, however, pretended that she was pleased to see her. Devika inquired about her university studies, and Hiranthi responded cautiously. After a few minutes of chit-chat,t Devika turned to Hiranthi's mother and offered to help Hiranthi through her University studies. Hiranthi thought her heart stopped when she heard that. She knew very well that the only reason she wanted to 'guide' her again was to get another opportunity to humiliate and to cane her naked. She feared her mother would accept it then and there. Hence she quickly muttered something to the effect that as it is only the English lessons during the first three months, she will think about it once the academic sessions begin. Once Devika left, Hiranthi's mother appreciated Devika and suggested that Hiranthi use Devika's help in University studies. She was not going to let that happen this time. Hiranthi now knew how to conduct her studies methodically and plan well ahead for the exams. Hence she knew that she did not need any more help from Devika. At 23, she was not ready to be subjected to the humiliation of being stripped naked and caned. She told her mother that she wants to get involved in society and sports in addition to s, so she is considering renting a room close to the University. She also told her that as she has sufficient money saved from her job, renting the space will not be any additional cost to the parents. Within two weeks, Hiranthi managed to rent a room and moved out of the home. That helped her to completely close out the chapter of the abuse she suffered at the hands of Devika;. However, it was through her intervention that she finally managed to get into the University.

Hiranthi arrived at the lobby of the Hilton Hotel, where the party was held. Her friends were there in the hall to greet her. All were rushing to congratulate her on her success. They praised her for her hard work. They didn't have to know what made her get there. They didn't have to see the abuse, humiliation, or mental and physical pain she had to undergo to make her succeed.

More than anything, she was pleased that her success brought immense happiness to her parents. She knew that she was in a position to look them after in their old age. As for Devika, she knew that she continued to be a teacher in some schools. She was convinced that Devika extracted a heavy price for helping Hiranthi to succeed. Devika used Hiranthi for her sensual enjoyment while giving her what she needed. Therefore she didn't feel obliged or indebted to Devika. In the long years that passed, Hiranthi learned that no one could take her dignity away by subjecting her to the humiliation the way Devika did. She knew that dignity was something within her. She knew that pride and dignity never left her in those dark days. Hiranthi held her head high and walked into the room where her colleagues and friends were.

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