#iAm16iCan

by Kirtida Gautam

To destroy great EVIL, GOOD has to shed tears of blood.

Rudransh Kashyap is a self-made billionaire and man of high moral fiber. His life is shattered when he returns home one day to find that his prodigy, his 16-year-old grandson, Aarush, has been arrested and accused of a brutal gang rape. It is easy to say, “Kill the Rapist” but what if the accused is your child?

This case takes an unprecedented turn when Aarush’s identity is made public on social media. Rudransh finds himself living a nightmare as he fights against tremendous odds to get justice for Aarush, to save him and to bring him back home… But what if the unthinkable is true? Can Rudransh save his grandson, or will he end up fighting a different battle altogether?

Genres: Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Drama

550 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 10, 2018

About the author

Kirtida is a clinical psychologist turned screenplay writer who completed her education from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, India. Her passion for psychology and writing inspired her into writing psychological thrillers. While the readers are reading this introduction, the next thriller is in the making...

Reviews

[Anirban Nanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recently I have read a very lengthy and much talked book #IAm16ICanRape by Kirtida Gautam which takes on a very important aspect of our judicial system and more crucially psychology of rape.

Now as the subject is really hard-hitting and the book is 630 pgs long, I was excited to read this one hoping to find a true magnum opus on the current position of woman in India. In fact, I have finished this book quite a few days ago, but I was doubtful about my opinion on the same. So after much thought I am presenting my true opinion about this book.

Firstly, this book is an honest attempt. But in midway through the book, I have almost decided to give it a 2-star and stop reading further. There are reasons for that which I will point our shortly. Basically the book gained 1 more star for Chapter 10.1, 6.4 and few more chapters on Aarush, our protagonist.

Too Many Characters:

In my opinion, this book would be better if it had been presented as a non-fiction book. The fact that, with almost 15 characters and 630+ pages; if the story and narration are not gripping enough, the book will bore the reader.

This book has lot of characters and the author has tried to give equal space for each one of them. Whereas, many characters are redundant and removing them would have made this book far more compact and gripping.

Narration/Language/Style:

Next are narration, language and style. The style is in simple prose for which I have no problem but the presentation is not lively at all. For example consider the following excerpt:

“Around 12:15 a.m., I get a call from the Santosh Hospital. Dad collapsed in the parking area at RK-JEE. How and when did that happen? We rush to the hospital and find out that Dad was backing his car from his parking space when suddenly, he fell on the wheel and fainted. The watchman, Makkhan Singh, rushed to the spot and drove him to hospital.”

Excerpt is enough to show how lifeless it is.

As each chapter is devoted to one character only it’s really irritating when in every line the character says “I am doing this, I am doing that.”

Like this one:

(From a chapter on Rudransh)

“I am so excited with this thought that I cannot sleep. I wake up at least five times during the night to check the time. Every night when I go to bed, I get the feeling that it is morning in five minutes; but tonight, the time simply does not pass. By the time the alarm clock rings at 5:30 a.m., I am already up. I go for my morning walk.”

(From a Chapter on Meghana)

“I come home. My cook, Sarojini, has come. I ask her to pack three different Tupperware tiffin boxes. I specify in my instructions to use Tupperware and not regular plastic boxes. The first tiffin is my lunchbox, the second my 4 p.m. snack, and the last my 6 p.m. salad.

I drive to my office. The intern, Shivani, is not in the office. I don’t appreciate it when people are late when they are on an internship. I criticize Shivani in front of Rajkumar, who is my best friend and colleague.”

In simple words, it’s just telling, not showing: a mere newspaper report. Even you can’t differentiate the tone of each character; all are almost same.

Dialogues:

Also, most of the narration is based on dialogues and I am not happy to see the author considers her readers so dumb. A tone, or mockery, or sarcasm should reflect in the dialogue itself. We don’t need a comment explaining meaning of the dialogue each time.

For example:

“Hi Dad, I didn’t notice you. When did you come? What is the time? 1:30?” she asks.

Sarcasm!

“No, it is 9:30,” I answer.

“How come RK-Ji is back so early?”

Sarcasm, again!

“Has your MIL’s spirit entered in your body by any chance? Why so much sarcasm? At the end of the day, you are a woman and you can’t change that, right?” I am her father-figure, she should not verbally brawl with me.

Considering this and the redundant characters this could have been finished within 300 pages.

But at the end few chapters pay off well as mentioned earlier. Very deep insights are presented at very crucial points that question our beliefs. Like this one:

“There are people who believe in the basic goodness of human nature. I believe in the basic evil of human nature.

I am a memory collector. I like to collect memories of high and intensely emotional moments. Any idea why people watch movies or read fiction and stuff? Homo sapiens crave emotional experiences. They need intense emotional experiences, but the fact of human life is that they don’t get those experiences in their real lives. They bottle up emotions, then they go out and watch or read something and their emotions come out, a process called catharsis. The lower the intelligence of a system; the more prone she/he will be to enjoy vicarious emotions and believe in the make-believe. That is how the film and TV industry survives. By stupidiots, with stupidiots, for stupidiots!”

OR

“When Mom slapped me, the absolute first thought that came into my head was, ‘Does she know?’ Then I quickly put all the pieces of the puzzle together. If she knew, she would not have been the only person to know. Bob would have known too! But Bob just hugged me and welcomed me back home. He didn’t know a thing, which implied Mom didn’t know anything either. She slapped me only because she felt like slapping me. Good! That is good! She thinks I was angry with her. I was not angry, I played angry, but in reality, I was relieved!”

I adore this kind of mind play which is not much there in the book.

Nearing at end of this review I can say that, it has good insights, an average plot, an average narration and too many characters (so many that you may forget their names). So it leaves me dangling in between whether I like this book or not. Hence, giving it a three star.

[Abir Mukherjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all I like to thank Kirtida for this wonderful gift. A psychological roller coaster ride which will keep you glued till the last word..

It's an awesome page-turner. Kudos to Kirtida for this experimental approach of storytelling. I loved it ! Readers can't keep this book down until exploring the last word. The plot is very sensitive and relevant, respect to the current circumstances of our country. Kirtida has portrait a picture of our insensitive society masterfully. She has invented few words which can make literary experts, frowned. But I loved it, as it conveyed the same meaning what author wanted to express; 'Idiothood' for example. I must appreciate Kirtida's guts to hold the facts, straight, naked and sharp.

It's completely a conversation driven book. It would have been better if author would have spent some word to describe the characters' appearance, like Aarush and bit of geographical description. Because, I had to imagine those aspects while reading. Few editorial mistakes can be ignored.

[Mani Khanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

#IAm16ICanrape
-By Kirtida Gautam

Plot:
This is the story of Kashyap family in which the relations between parents and children are not as the way they are in a common Indian family. The family gets a sudden shock when after the celebrations of Aarush's (grandson of Gayitri and Rudransh, son of Ananya and Mrigyank and brother of Navya) 16th birthday are over, he was arrested by police as an accused rapist. The victim Shubhangi gives her statement that she was raped by Aarush and Vijay, a bartender, on his birthday night.

No one in the family is ready to believe this statement keeping in mind his innocence and intelligence in view. Then slowly the chapters of that gang-rape start to open giving a new direction to the case.

Vijay takes all the blame on himself and commits suicide in Jail. Rudransh start believing Aarush has raped the girl. Mrigyank is against his father's belief and Pihu, daughter of Kashyap family's domestic help is very much in love with Aarush.

What happens next?
Did he commit this heinous crime?
If yes, will he be punished or being juvenile will give him an unnecessary advantage?
Is Shubhangi right? Or is she just feeling that she was raped by this Juvenile Kashyap?

Read this heart-breaking tale on one of the pensively subjected crime and know the psychology of criminals who commits rape.

My Opinion:

POSITIVES:

A very courageous topic is been selected by Kirtida for her debut novel. Talking about its plus points the book is wonderful in terms of defining emotions, thoughts and expressions.

Narration is kept simple and language is also kept simple which is nice in the context of this topic. Dialogue writing is perfect. Though the book is lengthy but a well-planned plot is penned in it which doesn't let this thought cross your mind once you start reading it. The way she described with psychology and brain functioning, criminal thinking and other issues in a conversation manner are commendable and makes things easily understandable. Talking about its title, I can definitely say that nothing better could be thought than this (Bang on). Book cover is fine but could have been better. A perfect amount of literature is used as and when required.


There is no particular target audience but I seriously think this book should be gifted by parents to their children in their teenage to clear them about this act called RAPE. Besides, right from a teenage kid to an old soul, this book is for everyone. Just read it with a broad mind and absorb as much as you can from this book.

SOME OF THE BEST WRITTEN PARTS OF THE BOOK WERE:
Shubhangi's lively moments in hospital.

The incident from Aarush's childhood when he sing “Lab pe aati hai dua banke tamanna meri…” and pointed towards his grand-dad when it focused on the word “Ishwar”.

The way deaths are described in the book. (Mentioning the one that pierced by heart will be a spoiler for any reader but yes Kirtida has made me shed some tears while describing the feeling and emotions of those who died and those who got affected by those losses)

The planning that a 16 year old, the way he behaved and lived two different personalities and made fool of his elders and family members on small issues will blow your mind away.

NEGATIVES:
Though the positive impact this book has left on me don't allow me to write this section but still there are certain things which I can't neglect as a reader and reviewer.


At one side when Kirtida had described most of the psychological jargons used in the book perfectly, at some parts, few terms and abbreviations are not at all described or described late (BDSM, CSWCS and some more).

Some characters are unnecessarily added including those of Aarush's friend and that of Journalist 'wife. There was no need to add them in the book. Further, despite the fact that the book is well edited and written, there was some typing and grammatical errors (Their extremely less quantity can even make them ignorable).

MY TAKE ON THE BOOK:
Discussing this dark topic, there was no point in the book that made it looked over-expressed or vulgar. (Special mention for author's experience and maturity level in this context)

The book raises some important questions about child-rearing and things parents should keep in mind when their kids are in learning and growing stage. It discussed about human mind, child psychology, criminal thinking, impact of elder's actions on their young ones, importance of each parent (mother and father together and mother and father separately), about the interior and exterior human energy, masculinity, femininity, Hero's Mythical Journey and its associated stages, human personality and the two sides, Persona and Shadow, each with equal amount of focus and description.

Further, she described one more important aspect of phycology which is the DARK TRIAD in which the shadow of a mind is either, child-psychopath, an adult-narcissist or a parent-Machiavellian. (These things will provide you multiple areas to read and learn if you are interested in reading psychological stuff)

She discussed how we parents accept tomboyish behaviour of a girl but a sissy boy is not tolerable.

But above all it raised an immense issue of convicted Juvenile Rape Laws. A rapist of any age must be counted as an adult keeping in mind the intensity and type of crime he has committed. Each time a Rapist is made free on account of his age, we give birth to a future criminal in our society.

Inspired by 16th December gang rape, this was an exceptional effort by the author to give light to this not-so-commonly-discussed topic RAPE.

They say that the only person who is punished after a rape is the victim.

IT IS NOT BECAUSE OF OUR LAWS OR HER-NOT-ACCEPTING IT IN PUBLIC, BUT BECAUSE OF THE SOCIETY THAT ACCUSES HER FOR THE CARELESSNESS SHE SHOWED ON HER PART.

Also, the women who don't stand against what happened with them must understand that if you won’t stand for yourself, no one will ever will to stand for you.

Stand up.
Speak against evil.
And fight for yourself because Even if one is 16, one can't rape.

Rather than teaching your girls to stay in their limits teach your sons the limits they must not cross.

Final Rating:

Title / Cover: 4/5
Character justification: 3.75/5
Story, Language, literature: 4.5/5
Final Rating: 4.25

We read a rape case and ask Who? How? When?
But leave behind a major question which is WHY?
A psychological fiction, that delves deep into the mind of a Juvenile rapist to know WHY?

[Manvi Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kirtida Gautam"Rape" a term which is an eye catcher for each one of us. The moment we open our newspaper, we come across this word, and it's not as if we ain't aware of it's meaning but each one of us holds a different picture of this word in our head. In fact, the dictionary holds a definition of this word, it is the crime, typically committed by a man, of forcing another person to have sexual intercourse with the offender against their will in other words it is the abduction of an individual especially to form a sexual alliance with the person.
I wonder how many of us actually think about a rape case in our day to day lives, specially now, most of us have this one statement on our lips,
"It's a common phenomena now, it's exactly like having a meal. That's how the census of rape is rising our country. What can we do in it?"
Hah! That's our mentality, I guess. Most of us even think that,
"Oh! I can go out, I won't be raped." That's where we go wrong.
A rapists never rationalise things in his mind. He victimise someone who's always weak in her knees, someone who can give up on herself too easily, someone who can make his fantasies come true and yes, that can be you without a doubt. I wonder how many of us will pick up this book with the actual intention of reading it, because most of us will be attracted to the title itself, we'll get attracted to the word 'RAPE' because that's how humans are programmed. (That's something good at Kirtida's part, *wink*)
Not denying the fact, even I got an inclination to this title but not because of the word, but because it had 16 and yes, I am 16. Before actually approaching Kirtida, I had this turmoil in me that whether I should be reading it or not, a question which hovered over me was, 'How will I look while holding such a title in a public place, or at school, that too when I am actually 16?'
But then, a factor like age cannot stop me from reading and I guess I made the best decision ever to go ahead and read this intellectual, psychological thriller which changed a lot of perspectives of life for me.

About The Book

I Am 16 I Can Rape, a title which can either be a question or a statement, title which has the ability to make us that rape is not something as easy as it seems to, it can happen with anyone and at any point of time. The different perception of the people and the changing protagonist made my interest going.

Aarush Kashyap ~ A highly intelligent guy with a genius IQ level, someone who has the ability to manipulate people around him without them knowing it. He is someone who can make you fall in love with himself and yet won't let you know that he's the wrong one in the end. He won't let you believe that he's the villain and not the people around him, someone who thinks that the planets of love revolve around him and he's the shining Sun for all forces of affection which diverts towards him, only if he would have understood himself, his life would have been better.

Rudransh Kashyap ~ Aarush's grandfather, Aarush's Bob, Aarush's godfather, RK-ji. That's how he's known in the book. Rudransh had always believed in his grandson, his Champ, he knew that he won't harm anyone, he thought that his Champ was not capable of committing such a horrendous crime but only to his horror, he had to face the truth, the truth which he denied this the end but something which made him fight his own demons away. He knew that he had failed as a parent, a guardian and a masculine figure of Champ's life but he had no clue that his failure would come back to him at a stage where there would be nothing left to look forward to, yet he lives, yet he breathes to get the wrong punished. He keeps up with his principles and reached a stage of enlightenment where he couldn't be manipulated anymore, where he knew the best for his Champ. He finally understood that the myth created by our societies and his own mind can make an angel into a devil, a Rama into a Ravana.

Subhangi Tyagi ~ A girl who fell into a trap which wasn't for her yet it was for her. A girl who fought against the odds of life and yet couldn't save herself. A girl who stood strong till her last breath and yet couldn't achieve the impossible because our legal system actually made it impossible for her. She couldn't feel more helpless than she did while she sat in court for the hearings. She knew nothing would change but still she fought because staying shut can never be a solution. A brave soul who knew a battle fought is more important than losing a battle without looking out for the enemies. She knew that nothing would change yet she fought against the juvenile of our country, juvenile called our legal system.
Gayatri Kashyap ~ Aarush's grandmother, Aarush's mother, Aarush's budhiya. A lady who always protected him with love and care, who nurtured him not like a grandson but like his own son. She loved his Babu more than she could ever love someone yet the circumstances took a twist in such a way that this bond got weaker. Though Aarush never cared yet he knew that she'll come back to see him one day, who knew that the one day he hoped for will never come, who knew that she won't remain to be Aarush's budhiya forever. The bitter reality of this relation made me cry in the end not because something beautiful was lost but because the most beautiful relation was not nurtured at all for Aarush.
Ananya ~ Aarush's biological mother. A lady which was always hated by Aarush because she made him see the mirror of reality and Aarush never felt the need to know the reality coz the world created around him by his Bob was enough for him to live an eternity. At an instance, she wanted to abort Aarush because he was conceived before she married Aarush's father and this one factor made Aarush hate her a bit more. Ananya was someone who he could never manipulate, of course, he got his smart genes from somewhere. ;)
Mrigank Kashyap ~ Aarush's biological father. A man who never had a say in any of the decisions in his life. He always lived up for the people around him and yet he couldn't satisfy anyone in his entire life. According to RK-ji, the best thing he could do was to marry Ananya. Though in the tough times, Mrigank stood by Aarush but he was just another pawn in Aarush's game of chess, yet he couldn't realize that he was being a good father in his eyes. For Aarush, Mrigank was a hero when he succeeded taking Aarush out of the rehab, he wasn't that dumb but was unique in his own way.
Pihu ~ A girl who solely loved Aarush no matter how he was. An intelligent girl who dreamed to be with Aarush till the end of his life, but who knew that she won't be there to live that forever, who knew that she was just being a part of Aarush's pile of lies. She was someone who could be easily manipulated and won over, though at the end she realised that life is not what it seems like and can be changed in the most horrendous way at any point, she realised that who she worshiped as the Lord was the Demon of her nightmares. She couldn't accept her ill fate and the truth, and ended it once and for all.
Meghana Pathak ~ Aarush's lawyer. A lady who was high on her ambitions. Someone who knew that what she's doing in her life when this one case made her life go upside down. The tigress was feeling stupidiot when she realized that she was fooled. She felt as if she was the joke played by Aarush. She couldn't save him but she knew that she wasn't told the truth and was manipulated in his own way.

Conclusion ~ Manipulation was the game played by Aarush but at the end he knew that he had lost the battle called life because when we lose the shoulder who supports us, there is nothing much left to look forward to. Why Aarush did it and what made him do it was rationalised by the end of the book but the question remains, I Am 16, I Can Rape?
The law of this country doesn't make the juvenile scared because he knows, eventually he'll get away with it without being touched. He knows that the justice will never be served, he knows that the evil will remain to be the evil and the good remains to be the good till the end of the days. Aarush had Rudransh to teach him a lesson but I wonder how many parents does so? I wonder if a juvenile rape accused, ever knows the pain of being in a terrible state of being the victim, because when Aarush tasted his own blood, he knew that it wasn't sweet, it was poisonous.

~ Maisha :)

[Rahul Khatri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read Complete Review on my Blog : Book Reviews From Heart
Truth be told , I received this Book as a review copy and So far , I can Proudly say , its one of the finest Psychological Thriller I'd ever read . Flawless writing with plot packed with thrill which simply makes the reader believe as if reading on edge of some high mountain . Kirtida Gautam has given an absolute tribute to the Victim of Delhi-Nirbhaya-Rape-Case with her book . Story of the Book is woven in such a manner that it let the reader to widen its prospective about various social evils which we usually ignore .

Plot hatched with the the ongoing meet of a Rape case accused , Arush and his Lawyer Meghana . Aarush , grandson of India's leading IIT Coaching centre's Head , was accused of a gang rape in Bangalore and is put onto trial as per Indian Judicial Procedures . Meghana was given the command to defend Aarush in court room but with time some ugly truth leashed out which put the whole case at a different level . No doubt , author had worked hard to bolt the characters the way they needs to be . Rudransh Kashhyap aka RK-Ji , founder of RK-JEE Chain in India spoiled his grandson in a very unique way from naming their Bunglow from his name to buying him a Jaguar on his 16th birthday .

Chapters in the book are narrated by different characters giving a great deal to get a depth knowledge of everyone's thoughts and acts .
Rudransh is portrayed as a Sophisticated old man who's stick to his principles and had made the grand empire of Coaching in India of his own . But the Events that occurred in the story are the events that actually test if a person is actually dutifully act on his principles or not .
Aarush , the protagonist around whom the whole story revolves is branded as one of the most intelligent kid who had cleared most of the Olympiads he had ever into . Author has sketched him so artistically in a psychological thriller that it let the reader's cell to jam with what-the-hell-is-this-guy . Aarush who on a side is flirt and even rough with some girls but at same time never use the abusing word starting from F in front of women .
Ananya and Mrigank are Aarush's Biological Parents who lives in US with their Daughter Navya . Ananya was RK-Ji's first student to clear IIT-JEE , & with some events triggered in past in a manner which lands her as the Daughter-in law of Kashyap family but she respects RK-ji as her own father . Mrigank is the only son of RK-Ji but with not able to clear JEE Exam , he was just considered as the useless & unworthy son in the eyes of his father but decided to stand with his son in his lows .Ananya and Mrigank landed in India to attend thei son's 16th birthday . Gaytri is portrayed as a perfect grandmom who worried about her grandson more than anything else . Most of her day spend in doing stuff related to aarush and is called by the pet name ' Budiya ' by Aarush .She cooks food for him , kept a check if Aarush is well feeded after his Activities session .My favourite character whose role just touched my soul is Pihu , selfless and loving creature she was .Pihu is the daughter of domestic help in Arush's Bunglow and stays most of the time there and is loved by all in home . She is the definition of Innocence in the whole story . Subhangi is shown as the lady of highest moral to fight back the evil . Beside it , Kirtida had put Shirni , Harry , Priya and Dr. Samvedana as the seasoning in Recipe . Shirni , Aarush's best friend , could play any music instrument and had met Aarush in school days and his action in plot with Aarush makes the reader laugh at a moment while on other makes the plot riveting . Harry , can said as Aarush's con partner , who surrendered her loyalty to Aarush when because of him , she kissed Shirni for first time . And Priya , Banglore's top model who lives with her Mom & Dad separately in an year cycle .

Humorous contents are also bolted in story like Shirni's ' Thank You ' letter to his condom company , Harry's narration to a beggar and later been picked up by Aarush , Kissing the lady of flight above Shirni's apartment .

GENERAL HIGHLIGHTS :

# There are no standards now a days . Competitiveness bloomed as an ingrained part of human institution & everyone is grazing on relative standards .

# How society narrowed down their perception and prosecute a person before anything is proven .

# Indian Electronic Media is always found immature to handle sensitive cases like Accused are shown as culprits .

#In Indian Society , Woman always gets the benefit of doubt . If a lady screams " Rape ", we accepts its rape . Even few days back a case of Eve teasing in Delhi comes into light in which a girl for the sake of publicity put allegations on a guy which later proved to be fake and Celebrities like Sonakshi Sinah had tweeted condemning the actions of the girl .

# Author has depicted the shadowy world of Rehabilitation center : How the newbies have to face some of worst case scenarios of life .

# We are in the age in which we buy what we saw but doesn't mean the product inside packing will be same as promised ..... in the same way No one can know us . Its we and only we who know us very well .

#Author also flagged the matter that how there's a misconception in India that people see a psychiatrist only when they are mad .We need to go to Psychiatrist to sharpen our thinking , to thinking more clearly .


So #IAm16ICanRape is an appreciative work of debut by Kirtida Gautam fulfilling his social duty to give a new prospective on social issues in public

[Rubina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kirtida Gautam has divulged into the mind of a rapist in her novel #IAm16ICanRape. I found the package, overall, very interesting. Especially, at a way it has been presented. Even before a reader gets into the story, the first thing that will attract him is the title itself. Clear, precise and above all hitting at the younger audience. The name itself is a satire, questioning the law and mocking at the young mind of the rapist.
The way the chapters are numbered is interesting. Innovative but whether successful or not only time will tell. :D
The story…
"It might seem that rape is a feminist issue. It is not. It is a battle for masculine which females are forced to fight against."
The story is of a 16-year-old boy, Aarush Kashyap, who has everything in his life. Looks, family, money and the adoration of many females. He should have been happy, satisfied but apparently his mind always tells him that he is way above others.- a demigod – one who could get away with anything, even rape. There is no mystery here as to whether he has raped or not. The mystery is whether the girl will get the justice not.
​
The author has studied not only the law of our country in reference to rape, but also the psychology of a rapist. Frankly speaking, I really don't care what goes inside the mind of these idiots. But this book got me to think that maybe if we can pinpoint at the root cause, there might still be a turning point for humanity to survive.
An array of characters…
I cannot say that only Aarush is the main protagonist, antagonist of the story but rather every character has been given a thought process, actions which take the story foreword and somehow create a mesh, a cloak, around Aarush. Every chapter is the point of view of a character that propagates the story to another level, feeding the reader with titbits of information about the night when Shubhangi was raped.
No one knew anything yet each contributed a clue as to what had happened that night. And then, there is always Aarush, at the backdrop, mocking the discovery. Almost like the game of truth and dare. Is this the truth? Did he really dare to do that?
Indulgence..…
Aarush did have a balanced upbringing but as they say grandparents can be very lenient to their grandchildren. His grandfather, Rudransh, who never cared for his own son, Mrigank, poured out all his love on Aarush. He took great pride on Aarush's achievements and Aarush, with his high IQ, never failed him. Psychologically, I feel that Bob, as Aarush lovingly call him, created the first curve in Aarush's mind-when he told Aarush the truth about his birth.
Pre-conceived notions…
The author brought out many pre-conceived notions that is existing in our society today. A girl who goes out at night has a lose moral. A girl who drinks beer with strangers is ready to be raped [though personally I feel, girl or boy, should first use their brains and take precautions against strangers in today's world].But nothing justifies rape.
The mind of Aarush…
Is a very analytical zone. I can write a thesis on that but for now it is suffice to say that he's really a very complex character. Highly intelligent, very resourceful and very very bitter. The sketch of the mind of a rapist. A person who enjoys BDSM, playing with emotions, playing with lives and marvels at his own skill of duplicity. I can truthfully say Aarush scares me.
​The character that touched me...
Rightfully I should say, Bob. Larger-than-life, successful and a man who stood for the truth, even at the cost of losing something that was very precious to him. But the one who touched my heart, is Pihu. The young girl, poles apart from Aarush. There was a moment, in the story when I felt that Pihu would be his salvation. She brought such innocence to the otherwise complex characters. But then they say, either you go with the flow or you lose the battle.
​
Tch!
Justice met ?....
Maybe the author wanted to keep the authentic pattern that life follows. But I did not like as to what happened to Aarush. If the author was intentionally trying to keep the fire of anger burning inside the reader, she has succeeded. More than that, I cannot say for you will have to read it to see if the ending is justified or not.

Check out my reasoning for the star rating here
my link text

[Salesh Fernando · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is not very often that a book has my attention for two full days. I AM 16 I CAN RAPE was like an obsession. I read it again and again to understand the level of impact. No I am not going to state the obvious. I see way beyond that.

It is a very clever book. The author bares it all with the title yet the reader is left with no choice but to keep turning the pages again and again. It is like watching a SUPERSTAR in action. A SUPERSTAR who knows his audience. Just when the audience think they have seen it all he stuns them with his final act. I have never been this mesmerized by an Indian Author before.

The author makes the readers look within each of her characters. She makes the readers understand why a character exhibits a certain behaviour. She gives each of her characters unique layers and peels them off one by one for the final reveal. She answers the WHY question with absolute clarity and that’s what makes this book a must read.

The book reminded me of “THE MAHABHARATA”. No I am not talking about DRAUPADI here. We all know who the real hero of the story is. It is KRISHNA’s centre stage. The others are playing the role he has assigned for them.

This book isn’t just about RAPE alone. It is more a study of how different people react to their own environment. It is a difficult read but an engaging one. Pick this one up if you like thrillers or if you want to understand deeper issues that plague the human mind.

Kirtida Gautam – Thank you for the book and for renewing my interest in Psychology and my humble apologies for underestimating your potential as an author. But it is something most of us do. We fail to look beyond the surface or to be more appropriate we fail to SEEK. Did I actually apologize or did I leave a clue. Pick the book and find out.

[Swathi Shenoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Kirtida asked me if I would like to review this book, I was skeptical seeing the title. I didn't know what to expect of it. The title was controversial. But when I read the synopsis, I knew I had to read this book. The first chapter was enough to catch my interest and I eagerly agreed to review the book and I am so glad I did. This is one of the finest psychological thriller written by an Indian author.

Aarush is a 16 year old, whose IQ falls in the category of 'Genius'. He is brilliant in everything he does. His charm isn't something anyone can resist and he always has a way of getting what he desires. And he has his grand father, the great RK-jee himself who looks out for him and mentors him. He is the apple of his grandparents' eyes. Everyone has great expectations from him but something happens that changes the lives of so many people.

Things I Liked:

A good book is the one which the reader enjoys but the best book is the one which stays with the reader even after he has completed reading it. This novel belongs to the latter category. There is one thing that this novel definitely does and it is that it will set you thinking. It will make you question so many things and change your perspectives regarding them.

The characterization is done very well in this book. Each character is thought out and presented in a way which helps readers to relate to them. I especially loved Shubhangi and Rudransh's characters a lot.

Read the full review here - Escape Reality - Book Reviews

[Reet Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a stunning debut - chilling to the point of being terrifying because the author makes it so believable - it is everybody's psychological nightmare.
Aarush could be anybody's child!

Kirtida is an astute analyst, a great psychologist, and a good story-teller.
I was a bit confused initially when I discovered multiple points-of-view - it was hard to keep track - but then I discovered how clever it was as a tack to keep things in perspective. The story would not have been as effective without multiple POVs. Hearing the story from the perspective of all the players brings them alive - they have awful flaws and wonderful characteristics - and they feel real.

It is a fairly long story, but it isn't easy to put down. I got a bit sleep-deprived because I would pick it up just before I turned out the light at night, and then before I knew it, it would be close to mid-night!

The very last part that talks about the psychology of rape, I found a bit tedious, and I think the book could very well have ended just short of that.

I also wish the syntax and editing had been tighter; nevertheless, I enjoyed the book and I cannot thank Kirtida enough for asking if I would like to read it. I had noticed it on social media but was chary of picking it up because I wasn't sure I wanted to read about rape.....but I am glad that I did read this book!

All the best with your next one, Kirtida!

[Rohit Chopra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi Kirtida, I have been a voracious reader all my life but have never ever thought of putting my word across to any author. thats because, i think no other book has touched me and my core soul, the way #iam16 has. This is by far the best book i have ever read, and believe me, i have read some really great books. the characters stay with me particlularly rudransh and ananya. i feel like talking to my internal samvedna rao, everytime i find myself in a tough situation. its not only that story, there are many other aspects of the book that influences our lives on a daily basis. Also, i have been blessed with two lovely daughters, elder one being 11 years. for this also i am thankful as i feel more enlightened and prepared as a father whose daughter is about to touch Teens. I think every parent should read this book. I really salute you for this effort and i feel our country is blessed to have talent like yours. Please keep up the good work and if possible, let me know when will your next book be releasing. i'll surely be ensuring it get delievered to my kindle the moment its released. Thanks once again. Stay Blessed and keep writing

[Mohammed Tanveer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has given me a new perspective of Psychology, the subject in itself. I'm really excited on picking up more books around this area to understand, how people use this as tool to foresee their goals.

I really loved this book for the way it has been communicated, simple, yet a page turner! To me, the core of the book began from Chapter 3.3 and from then, there is no stopping until the end. It carries a sense of humor from Bollywood references -'Jab We Met' to mathematical expressions like - "deserves more of log(x).. rather than tan(x)" :) Some really juicy stuff comes to light when the same scene is narrated by different people, with different interpretations. There is a Questionnaire where the main character of the story "Aarush" questions, it's more of a conversation to the recipient, but in reality- he knows what he wants by the end of it.

Some pieces of the story really make you tear out and question yourself, how many people around ourselves could have played something which we were just not aware!


-Tanveer

[Reetwika Banerjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Kirtida for gifting me her book. It would have been great if I had received an author signed copy of such an awesome book. I took more than a month to finish reading it. Because I wanted to make justice to the author's tremendous efforts in coming up with such a powerful title and end it with perfection. When I started reading it, I was little scared if she could be able to keep the tension on till the end. But wow...I am so happy to find the author in succeeding doing so. I was engrossed in every bit of it till the last page. I liked the narration style of the author very much.
The verbiage could have been little heavier at places keeping in mind the topic of the plot, but nevertheless as a debut work, Kirtida marked a remarkable entry to the market. It was very difficult for her to keep grip on the reader's mind with such an eye-catching, socio-allergic topic like this.
I can see all elements of making it to a best-seller in coming days. Best wishes for her. Lets wait for her next title. Keep up.

[Surabhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first started reading the book, the first thought that came in my mind was that it was going all haywire, the chapters were all a great mix match... but I guess that was the beauty of the whole book. I happen to be an avid reader but never ever have I read something so beautiful and deep. The book is a tribute to the Delhi rape case victim - Nirbhaya and oh! What a tribute it is. This book won't teach you how to study the psychology of a child but it will take you on a journey which will enthrall all readers and psychology lovers. Every word, every page, every chapter grasps the readers attention to it till the very end so much so that even after the story has ended one would ask for more. I for instance never wanted the story to end. One can not help but praise the book as if that is the last thing he/ she is reading. I know and i hope it will soon be in the list of national bestsellers.

[Aanchal Chugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an eye opener and a detailed, apt, yet easy to understand insight into the human brain. I would like to appreciate the author for bringing forth this delicate and significant issue of our society two sidedly. As one begins to admire Aarush initially, and feels the opposite for Subhangi, the events take turn and the true nature and feelings of the lead characters - Aarush, Rudransh and Subhangi come to the surface and change the perception of the story altogether. What I found the most influential was Subhangi's bravery and positive attitude and Rudransh's patience, will power and determination to ammend the wrong done and fight against his own blood, demanding suitable punishment for the culprit. Hats off to the author for perfectly creating such an unforgettable and thoughtful story. I would recommend each one, irrespective of your age, to read this book. It will change something in you. :)

[Paromita Mukherjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

he premise of this book is as hardhitting as the title. The in-depth psychological analysis presented by the author is praise worthy. She raises a pertinent question about the Juvenile law prevalent in Indian legal system which due to its loopholes is misused by juveniles with criminal bent of mind. Like Rudransh Kashyap we need to wake up from our slumber as a progressive society and ensure adequate punishment of heinous crimes like rape. We cannot afford to shrug our shoulders anymore and let criminals walk scot-free. Kudos to the author for writing emphatically on a sensitive legal issue.
P.S. there are few typos/grammatical errors in the kindle manuscript which needs to be looked into...

[Shrutti · Rating 5 out of 5]

mind opening read

[Ashley Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling read. Also interesting as a westerner to get a glimpse into the particular qualities of rape culture in India.

[Chittajit Mitra · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://itsgoingtobeobvious.blogspot.i...

[Kamal Paneru · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review Point: 4 out 5
Authoress: Kirtida Gautam
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Pages: 592

About The Book:
Aarush is a handsome teenager and grandson of billionaire Rudransh Kashyap. Rudransh owes a coaching center for IIT preparation. He has Arush, Gayatri his wife, Ananya his daughter in low, Mrigank his son and Navya his granddaughter in his family. Besides, Pihu is also an important part of their family. Mrigank with his wife and daughter Ananya lives in USA and Arush is grown under the look after of Gayatri. Aarush is possessive and extreme sharp with his mind. He is accused of rape of Shubhangi Tyagi who at Bangaluru is a software engineer of 25. Rudransh is the man of his words so he with lawyer Meghana tries best to reveal the truth. Will they be able to save Aarush? Who is telling lie? Either Aarush or Shubhangi? How pihu plays a role of mysterious person? What step will Rudransh take to let the victim have right judgement? Will a change in government rules and Indian constitution take place? To give your curiosity a platform, go through this amazing book #IAm16ICanRape.

Strength Of The Book:
Incredible platform is chosen which is slightly avoided by common people. As being a women, it is very hard for her to talk about rape and all. But authoress has done her work in best way. She has not only given light to the juvenile crime but also evinced the effect of a rape on both families and surroundings. To depict the emotions and thinking of each character of story specially when there are many is really a difficult task but authoress has given equal importance to all the mentioned characters and showed their emotions in a beautiful way. Book is written in the prospectus of both male as well as female. Many of topics which included in this story such as juvenile factor, freedom of women, our constitution, government rules, respect of a woman, are crafted perfectly. Book doesn't make readers bore at all. To keep the readers away from confusion between characters, these are properly segmented into chapters. Narration is admirable. All points are stated in straight forward way. To keep readers engaged with the new terms, appendix is also given.

Few Lines From the Book Are:

I want to sound like a sissy, but I miss my pillow and my bed. I don't claim to understand love. Love is not a regular emotion of my system. They say if you love someone, you can give you life for that person. I can't give my life for anybody. Does that mean I don't love anybody?
- (Aarush of age 16 and accused of rape)
People should either think or not think, but they should not think they think when they postulate.
- (Aarush of age 16 and accused of rape)
When I use the word stupid, I mean a person who is an emotional fool. When I use the word idiot, I mean a person who is low in intelligence. I use a self-invented word, stupidiot, for a person who is both stupid and an idiot.
- (Aarush of age 16 and accused of rape)
I am too valuable to be forgotten.
- (Aarush of age 16 and accused of rape)
Human gather knowledge about their environment by two distinct methods-firstly, through their five senses, and secondly, through their minds. The person who gathers most of his knowledge using one of his senses is called a sensory type person. The person who gathers most of his knowledge using his mind is called an intuitive type person.
-(Samvedana, They psychologist)
In transactional analysis, a winner is a person who responds authentically, by being credible, trustworthy, responsive, and genuine, both as an individual and as a member of society. Yes, he is not winner. He plays his game in such a way that no matter what you do, you can't win against him. Because, first, he doesn't play to win, he play so that other people lose.
-(Samvedana, They psychologist)

(this published content of the book contains copyright and is not for business use. If you do, you will be solely responsible for financial lose)

Weakness Of The Book:
Though depiction is good but when it comes to victim part (Shubhangi Tyagi), author fails to express her pain and emotions very well. Shubhangi Tyagi is the most sensitive character so it had to be described as well. Harry and Shrini characters are described too much unnecessarily which make story diverted from the theme. Vijay (the second accused of rape case) character is also limited. When describing one from the same box, other must not be neglected. Besides Ananya (mother of Aarush) is presented as only one sided, her second face with her son could me more descriptive. Ending of the book somehow disappoints readers with the conveyed message. Besides, Vaishnavi character was not needed anymore. Grammatical errors and typos also appear on many pages.

Conclusion:
When everyone is afraid of talking about a heart aching topic rape, Authoress Kirtida Gautam presents an interesting book on this topic. Based on the Nirbhaya Rape Case, Delhi, this story holds the breath of readers. Full of suspense and penetrating emotions, this book is an unforgettable ride. It is about "When it comes about physical, a boy of 15 is equal to a man of 25 . He gets this capability at the age of 12 or 13, so why to make him free to do anything (even rape too) till he ceases 18." Holding much avoided word "rape" in the title, this book deals with the psychology and mental state of teen agers as well as elder people before and after a rape case of their beloved. Striking on narrow and conservative thinking of women, this book leaves readers with many questions such as "amendment in constitution, "women's hesitation and fear to come forward after being raped, their support to other women, juvenile age, freedom of all women and teenager boys".

Reviewing Point:
4 out of 5

Review By:- Kamal Paneru

[Manish Purohit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before I dwell further on my opinion about the book, I offer my heartiest appreciation and admiration for Kirtida for choosing such a grave and sensitive topic for her first book. It actually would have demanded a great amount of physical and mental toiling on her part to carve out this fictionalized version taking cue from Nirbhaya case – indeed a noble attempt Kirtida, for the intent with which it has been attempted!!!

Coming back to the book, it is a great piece of psychological thriller penned by the first time authoress highlighting the lapses and loopholes in the current legal provisions of Indian law with regard to rape and juvenile rapist. The story is intriguing with adequate twists and turns to keep the readers completely hooked. Instead on harping on a melodramatic description about the rape victim condition per se, the book goes beyond and explores the psychology of the rapist and people around.

Being a psychologist, Kirtida makes an attempt to take this one beyond a normal piece of fiction and offers her reader a piece of the mind of the rapist which prompts him to commit the crime. It also offers advice and insights to some of the vital aspects of parenting. The book has been written in the first person by various characters turn by turn giving it a completely different take on the thriller genre. The meritorious manner in which the chapters have been written aptly reflects the command of the authoress over her principal characters (guess her professional skills helped in her bit). Each chapter gives the reader an insight into the character’s mind and thoughts, as to what each of them is thinking about a particular juncture in the story. These have been skilfully woven to take the story further so that nowhere the construct of chapters defy the intent of the story teller. The book starts off with Aarush accused of raping a girl and is due for trial and creating a perfect pedestal for the story to move igniting the curiosity meter of the reader with regard to what’s, why’s and how’s of the story. The non-sequential chapter numbering with an interesting flowchart given at the beginning is an innovative way of putting across the story.

The book hits hard on the preconceived silos and notions breathing in our society demarking the acts and deeds of the girl responsible for the rape. I don’t think anything can be more obnoxious than the fact that there are people in the society who prefer creating flutter by accusing the victim rather than holding the accused responsible and seek severe punishment for him.

The best part of the book remains that it does what it is intended to do. It bares all about the ‘rape’ questioning the age-old adages and beliefs while raising grace marks on the legal provisions of our country which allows a juvenile rapist to escape the punishment overlooking the magnitude of the crime he has committed and ignoring the gravity of the intent and mental state with which the crime is committed, giving weight age to only one thing – his age. As the strings of the story are unveiled, the reader is suo moto compelled to look beyond the age of the perpetrator to his acts and deeds. It presents a strong case for the regulator to revisit and reframe the age old laws and make an exception to the provision making the punishment of the crime in consonance with the brutality of the crime. As rightly said, “each time a Rapist is made free on account of his age, we give birth to a future criminal in our society.”

However, there were minor glitches which were noticed by me during the course of reading the book. The story boasts of too many characters which didn’t go well with me especially when many of them stay redundant and not keenly developed even till the end of the book. The characterization of the principal characters has been done quite wonderfully but when it comes to some of the secondary ones, I feel it would have been just great if those would have avoided. Alternatively, if the chapters having their ‘point of view’ could be removed, that would have done wonders for the book. Proper editing of the ensuing editions of the book is suggested which will transform this work into a masterpiece.

Another mild observation of mine is regarding the narration of the book which I found quite naïve at places. Maybe it was a deliberate attempt on the part of authoress so that to keep the flow of such a long book intact (something in which she succeeds), but for me, it would have been great if it had adequate amount description as well which would have provided further thrust to the matter dealt with. There were some minor grammatical / typo errors but these weren’t too scratchy to impact the overall reading experience.

The cover page of the book is appealing with the picture of the juvenile sitting holding his head as if sitting in distress for the crime he had committed. The title of the book is apt as it conveys and raises the question on the proclaimed affirmation of the juveniles to rape on the pretext of relaxed laws in this regard. In the backdrop, various phrases are written linked directly with the title of the book. A special word of appreciation about the print, font and word spacing in the book which is more than decent to grant a comfortable read.

Rating: 3.25/5

Read the complete review here >>>
http://musingsofawanderingheart.blogs...

[Srabanti Bhattacharyya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never thought a book could come up with this unusual and disturbing title #Iam16IcanRape . I wanted to know the cogency…
Then, I started reading the so called ( why “so called” ?) book. Within an hour of reading, I was completely drowned in the book and by this time I already knew this reading experience is going to be stark different from my previous ones. The language is so intriguing and sometimes shocking, the topic is very contemporary and the author is a genius.
I stopped calling it a “book” and coined the name “volcano”, yes, for me, it is. During reading, it gave me goosebumps, tears, spine chilling fillings and an overwhelming anger, all was vehemently erupting from the so called book, like a potential volcano. When I was not reading the book, then also the story and the characters didn’t leave me. Every character is a boss in his/her own right. I don’t know, how a first time author has managed to write THIS ! .
The reading is much like a roller coaster riding, chapters are not in sequence, every character is voicing there own view, quite different from each other, a very indulgent mother, a submissive lover, an irresolute father, a firm and valiant mother, a chirpy bubbly young lady, a very cordial friend, an incognito and manipulative JUVENILE criminal, a devastating rape, nightmarish courtroom proceedings, a commendable criminal lawyer, an ardent social worker ,a very competent media personality , an enlightened psychologist, and a stalwart social hero and his equally hero wife.
I think the author invited quite a chaotic situation when she allowed them all to voice their own perspective of the story , but, here we have a genius author, she managed them so well, at the end of the reading, you feel yourself blessed . Each chapter is stand alone , to name a few most haunting, the court room chapter, the TV interview chapter ,the chapters where we get the verbatim from a criminal mind about the crime and his line of thinking .
I specially want to thank Kirtida for the last chapter, it gave the reader the thorough knowledge of psychology of the rapist, who is not bred outside our homes, who is a product of our deficient upbringing. The psychoanalysis was not of a rapist only, but of a society as a whole also. Only a cognoscente like Kirtida can pen this kind of psychoanalysis. She explained the working of misogynistic mind and also the reason behind it, why it comes in being. She pointed out the massive black holes we are harboring as a society when it comes to the upbringing of sons and daughters.
Kirtida has put her index finger into my eyes and I am still in severe pain when she showed that JUVENILEs will NOT BE PUNISHED in our country for a gruesome crime like rape. It is not that I never knew it before, I knew it, but very vaguely, did not realize the danger behind it. This genius has waked me up from my mindlessness with a bang.
I am awestruck by Rudransh kashyap, the hero who made his journey from a loving and caring father to a crusader who very rightfully wanted punishment for his criminal grandson and never let his emotions stuck his step back. Gayatri Kashyap is also a hero and she made quite a different journey from her husband. She took a complete U turn from being a soft, protective mother to a person who consciously let her heart go out of her body to punish the criminal.
Unfortunately, I live in a country where rape is legalized for the boys under 18 ( since I cant call 1-2 yrs in REHABILITAION is at all any punishment with the proportion of the crime like rape and often murder ). Unfortunately, I live in a country where Nirbhayas will be left to die and where their rapists will be awarded another ( or many ) chance to start life afresh and forget about the “boyish misktake” .Unfortunately, I live in a country where the JUVENILE rapists will not get any punishment due to their tender age ( though their crimes are quite grueling for an adult also ),unfortunately I live in a country where month old babies are rape victims very commonly, and if their rapists are adult , then we don’t have any stricter punishment for the criminals , means the rape victims will not get any protection from state due to their tender age, only the rapists will get the blanket protection for being so JUVENILE.A month old baby boy cant rape, but unfortunately, a month old baby girl can get raped, but she will not get any special treatment for being JUVENILE, her parents cant ask harsher punishment for the criminal. I think girls are not called JUVENILEs . All these thoughts came to haunt me after I read #Iam16IcanRape , trust me, there could not be any better nomenclature.
And fortunately there is a gifted author called Kirtida Gautam.

[Komal Priyani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review Time :- #IAm16ICanRape By Kirtida Gautam

Congratulations For Your Debut Book and Thanks for counting me in your "reviewer list"..

Highlights :-
:- This book is a sarcastic slap to our judicial system who overlook the nature of the crime because of that one fact i.e Age
:- This book focuses on the "Opaque" side of the relation between parents and children
:- This book also the societies outlook to the rape and rape victim
:- If we unite our voices for a logical cause that will definitely make some difference bcoz together we can and we will make the difference

To begin with, Let me ask you a very simple question what were reactions when you read/hear the title of this book ? I wont assume your reactions but i can give you the brief of how my family members reacted :-
Mommy :- Shocked (What sort of books you have started reading beta)
My cousin (female) :- Komal are you out of your mind ??
My cousin (male) :- Weird title
These are the expected reactions you will get in a normal Indian house specially when the words like Rape, Sex,Drugs and porn are there in any sentence ...Because for parents these topics are an adult(after marriage stuff) and for kids these topics are "secret buddies stuff"... both parents and kids try to avoid these stuff as they fear that it might lead to some awkward situations... Right or M i right ??
But i don't want to divert the motive of this book and my review by questioning these "Why we don't discuss these stuff here"
The motive of this book is if a juvenile can commit a heinous crime Like Rape,like the person has the mind and courage to Rape a women at the age of 16 ?? Cant he be rightfully punished for his deeds ?? ....Judicial system of our country cant overlook the nature of the crime and the competence of criminal to focus only on a single biological fact - Age...Because Rape is Not At All a "Kiddo stuff"
First let us discuss What you mean by the term "Rape" ?
Wikipedia :- Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration perpetrated against a person without that person's consent..
According to the Authoress Rape is the result of an eternal war between masculine and feminine energies, which is initiated by the feminine energy..It might seem that rape is a feminist issue.It is not ..It is a battle for the masculine which females are forced to fight against..

Characteristics of the characters Before the crime :-

From Aarush's "Im the champ" aspect to Bob's "The RK-Ji" attribute, From Budhiya's unconditional love for Aarush to Aanaya's "I don't care attitude"..From Mrigank's "Not so Intelligent aspect" To Pihu's Selfless care for Aarush..From Shrini's "Bro-Code" To Harry's "Find me a guy sight"..From Priya's "Flaunting" aspect To Subhangi's sensitive,caring and trust easily attribute... From Taz's "protective daddy" aspect to Subhramaniam Sir's brilliance and truthfulness ...From Vijay's "not so happening family background" To Meghana's disturbed personal life...From Saurish's "Fussy aspect" To Vaishnavi's "Composed" attribute till here the story seems quite "Crispy" where everybody caries some special trait but wait this is only the bright side of the Moon...

The characteristics of the characters after the "Heinous Act"

From Aarush's Manipulative, aggressive, ego state To Mr. Rudransh's Bold and right initiative aspect....From Gayatri Ma's accepting the failure as a parent and Keeping that difficult promise to Aanaya's Care and Intellectual...From Mrigank's love for his hero to Pihu's "Guilt and unquestionable love ".
From Shrini's standing for the right to Harry's Perfect spit..From Priya's "awkward refrained aspect" to Subhangi's courageous and fighter spirit..From Taz's Strong and courageous move to Subhramaniam stunning legal pleadings...From Vijay's adult ego state to Meghana's "Win And always Win aspect"...From Saurish's emotional and transformed as a person sight to Vaishnavi's noble deeds this book is a gripping read


Hits and Miss of the book :-
:- Language used is understandable and simple but there are minor printing mistakes
:- Story line ,narration, writing style,motive are Bang on but the last part specially that "Psychoanalysis" was kind off too much a heavy dose to digest at least for me

My reaction after reading this book:- Trust me when i say that, this book is hands down the finest book i have ever read in my 9 years of reading life, this book is the brain knocking, thought-provoking and charismatic read

Rating :- 4.5 /5

Komal Priyani ❤️

[Krishna Burnwal · Rating 4 out of 5]

#IAm16ICanRape

Author:- Kirtida Gautam


My Review:
When you read the title #IAm16ICanRape, what is the first thing that crosses your mind??
When I read this title, a flash came into my mind of the famous Nirbhaya Rape Case. I think most of the minds who read this title had such an experience.
The novel #IAm16ICanRape written by Kirtida Gautam and published by Read Out Publishers is a big slap on the society and its rules. The story portrays how the law bends for people i.e. it changes with different things, situations or people. People uses such loopholes to do the harshest of crimes and they come out with least punishment. So I think we all must fight together for such a cause to fill up such loopholes and punish those who takes advantages of it.

Here in this story, the protagonist Aarush Kashyap is the grandson of IIT-JEE tycoon Rudransh Kashyap, the owner of RK-JEE. Aarush is very talented. Whether it is studies or any other fields, he always live up to the expectation of his grandfather unlike his father who never lived upto the expectations of his father. Aarush parents who normally resides in the US visits India for his 16th birthday. However the most uncertain event takes place when the police knocks the door of Aarush Bungalow and takes away Aarush. Why?? Aarush has been accused of raping a girl, Ms Subhangi Tyagi. She accused him and his friend of raping her and then doing various inhuman activities with her body which damaged her intestines. Though in the beginning, everyone stands beside Aarush. However as time flies, his family also starts doubting him.
Has Aarush raped someone??
Is Subhangi's accusation correct or she is playing smart against a juvenile??
What are the circumstances which leads his family to dount him??
What does the investigating officer find in Aarush's laptop??
Why does Pihu kill herself?? What is that guilt which helps her to take such a drastic step??
Will Aarush's family ever forgive her??
Will Aarush be ever punished for his deeds or he will come out of the rehabilitaion center with much trouble??

You will have to read this beautifully crafted novel to know all the answers.

The characters in this novel is well crafted and portrayed. The authoress has succeeded in the description of characters which are on your mind even when the novel ends. However the best character I found in the story was that of Subhangi. She is a role model, an inspiration. Everyone can't be like her. I liked her approach towards life. This girl is surely going to make everyone fall for her. Though there are many characters which shall impress you in their own ways but the ones which I liked after Subhangi is that of Rudransh and Pihu. Rudransh is a self-made man and his way of leading his life, his principles are something which we all dream of but donot follow. I liked the unconditional love of Pihu for Aarush. Though I dont agree with what she did to Subhangi just few days before killing herself, I liked her pure, unconditional love.



The title #IAm16ICanRape is significant and has its own importance. The title suits the motive of the writer and she has succeeded in her attempt. Moreover the number 16 too has its own importance. The authoress tries to bring out the exemptions or the leniency with which the courts judge the juveniles even though they are accused of severe inhuman activities. Kudos to the authoress, she has successly brought out the deficiency in our laws and how it is being used to protect criminals.


Overall it is a very good read and I think it must be read by everyone so as to get a proper knowledge of the thoughts that goes into the mind of criminals. Moreover the authoress has described the story along with the help of psychology so as to inform us what goes into the mind of an individual in different situations. This helps to know the characters more correctly and it also tries to show us that how a person can be different from what he/she prentends to be.

I would like to recommend every individual to read this book. This book shall not only change your thinking but it will also give you strength to voice your words which you want to take out but can't do so in the name of society and many other elements like that. This book shall help us to fight against all the social evils , the most dangerous being the rape.

[Rakhi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highlights

Kirtida has done a great job by portraying the most heinous crime in the history of manhood- Rape. The book is all about how the rapist and the victim reach the unfortunate state and how they proceed further. A juvenile should be given a chance to change himself and start a brand new life so that he would become a better person? Well, A juvenile should not be considered a kid if he rapes someone because then its clear that he is not a juvenile anymore.
The main characters in this story are Rudransh Kashyap, the millionaire and his family. Arush, his grandson is accused of rape and arrested. Rusransh's family is shattered by the news. His wife Gayatri,Son Mrigank, Daughter-in-law Ananya and Grand daughter Navya- Everyone is pulled into the whirlpool of emotional stress after Aarush's arrest. There is another character Pihu, Aarush's ladylove and Kashyap family's domestic help's daughter. She is a strong link in the family as well as story line.
The other part of the story is Subhangi Tyagi, who is the rape victim. She is survived by her mother. She lives with her best friend Tabrez Sheikh(Taz). For me, he is the real protagonist since he is the one man who stood by her friend. He shared the apartment with Subhangi but never crossed his lines. After her rape, the way Taz gives her succor is so amazing. He is what a man should be. Another character is Vijay, who is Aarush's alleged accomplice in the incident. Then comes Meghana, Aarush's advocate, Subramaniyan the prosecution lawyer,Samvedana the Psychiatrist. Various minor but important characters which pass through the story line are Saurah,Vaishnavi,Priya,Shrini,Harmeet etc. Each character is crafted really well. Each chapter is dedicated to a character, who becomes the first person. The approach gives a clarity about the long story.
The irregular order of the chapter and the flowchart in the beginning which explains it is a refreshing treatment.
"There are many parents who gets scared when a daughter is born to them. It is because they fear for the safety of the girl. Let me tell you something from my personal experience. It is no better if your son rapes a woman than when your daughter gets raped. It is equally painful, may be more." These are the words of Rudransh Kashyap. Yes, the story is all about how a family cope up with the shock of knowing that their child is a rapist. Well, the author portrays the family pain in the most intense and believable manner.
I have heard a lot about the inability of Indian Authors in putting forth a good story line with strong language. I have always wondered why this prejudice that too from fellow Indians. I have just one thing to tell them. Read this book and see how an Indian author put forth the most difficult scenario seamlessly.
Kirtida has done thorough homework in portraying the court scene. She has also used her psychological knowledge in explaining Aarush's condition. An appendix of Psychoanalysis of rape is given, which, everyone should read.
At the end of each chapter, I thought this is the twist. The beginning of the next chapter I realize that more surprises remain in store.
All in all the book impressed me really well and I could not put it down.

Drawbacks

I liked this book but I ought to say the negatives as well. Subhangi's side of the story could have been explained more. Shrini' and Harmeet's episodes should have been cut short. Aarush's soliloquy could also have been cut short. Readers might not be interested in his boasting. As I mentioned earlier Taz is the star. He could have been given more importance from the beginning. And the chapter 10.2; I was like Oh Kirtida, Why did you do this??? I am not saying more about this because it would become a spoiler. But that twist was needed.
Finally, I was not quite satisfied with the retribution. It was lighter than expected. May be that's the whole story is about. Juveniles doesn't get punished in proportion to the crime.

One liner about the book:

This is a literary outburst against the social evil that send shudders down the spine of every parents. Parents of both boys and girls

[Vanita Bodke · Rating 3 out of 5]

#IAm16ICanRape is novel written by Kirtida Gautam. It has been very well acclaimed by many readers as it also comes at the time when Rape is at center-stage of discussion in India. There have been many debates about the topic which centered around a lot of frivolous discussion like what women should wear or by what time they should be home etc. The Author has made a good argument about why it is not a 'woman's fault' to get raped.The book has been written to throw light on lapses in Juvenile law & its current tagline is - The War Against Rape Culture.


The book's cause is great & it has been executed well.Having said that the cause of book is great but is the book realistic? I would say,No. Is the book a change agent for society? No. As a reader & reviewer the works has been analysed from fictional perspective only.

Author has set up a Make Believe world of RK-JEE in Banglore which is similar to Kota, hub of IIT coaching. The addition to this setting are Jaguar, Discotheques & Five Star outings along with sprinkle of Bangalore's software world.

In begining the books deal with many of the teenagers who seem to crave for sex every now and then. Though I agree that teenagers are confused and one ought to have proper sex education for them but I as a reader do not believe their lives center around sex.

Shubhangi, the rape victim has been very well crafted. Author portrayed Shubhangi wonderfully. Author has built characters of Gayatri Mrigank, Pihu nicely and they do not seem to be in conflict with the story. Rudransh Kashyap who is Aarush Kashyap's grandfather, to certain extent is not in conflict in story. But later it becomes difficult decipher why a person of Rudransh Kashyap's acumen will donate money to a privately run Rape Crisis Center and even if he does, he would not monitor the same.

The characters I faced trouble with are media person Saurish and Vaishnavi who take up Shubhangi's story. Now for some people even Rape is business and if you ask Saurish & Vaishnavi are those sort of people. It becomes indigestible when these people identify with Shubhangi. There is one character who does not complete journey and he is Tabrez, Shubhangi's friend. It is unfair to him, of all the characters he has closely witnessed Shubhangi's sufferings.

I do not relate to Ananya &Aarush Kashyap. I cannot claim that I know them or I can predict how these characters would behave. They are alien to me.

There are instances where as a reader I am not pulled in, e.g.Author fails to capture grandeur of an event which has been organised in backdrop for Justice of Shubhangi. The symbolic representation of Rudransh Kashyap carrying a 20 kg bag wherever he goes becomes a mockery as he does nothing that reflects he cares for amendment of law. The story decides to take course of Aarush Kashyap's life which as a reader I don't find appealing.

I've completely skipped Psychoanalysis of Rape part to keep health of my brain intact :).

#Iam16 has been excellently edited which makes book readable however there are some lapses towards the end . Not thoroughly unacceptable but its difficult to tell how an error free book found itself in midst of errors in the end.

The writing style very much resembles Chetan Bhagat and Amish Tripathi. It is stark and dry, a style which most Indians might like/prefer to read these days.

Cover seemed cluttered in soft image but in print it stands out. The choice of title has been touted controversial but many people have wanted to pick up the book based on title. The title definitely piques curiosity in readers. Read Out Loud has done an excellent job in printing department. The book is not heavy & looks very pleasant while reading.

Disclaimer: I almost know everyone who was associated with the book. The book was sent by author to me without any charges.

[Tabitha Ormiston-Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing journey this has been. Unlike a novel that exists merely to entertain, #IAm16ICanRape is a member of a class which I would describe as literary activism. Such books are rare; most writers with a sociopolitical agenda choose to pursue that agenda via the medium of non-fiction. When it is done, if it is done well, as is certainly the case here, the reader cannot remain unchanged by it. So when I say journey, it is not a mere figure of speech for reading a long book. I learned from this book, and having learned, am forever changed.

In this book, the phenomenon of rape is dissected through the media of the points of view of the many different players in the drama. We are accustomed to think of rape in terms of the criminal and the victim, but just by using this technique, Gautam clearly shows how ripples spread out from the crime, affecting many, many more people. Like a drop of ink in a bowl of clear water, its darkness spreads and spreads. This, more than anything, for me showed the whole 'rape' issue in a different and more terrible light.

If the book is viewed as a text, I am not fully competent to evaluate it, not being qualified in psychology. The reasoning laid out in the appendix seemed believable to me, but as I say, this ventures into a professional area where I'm not at home; therefore, I will not comment about the psychological reasoning given in the appendix. Viewed as a piece of literature, however, I can and do say that it is a remarkably fine piece of work, broad and deep and life-changing. Like all gifted writers, Gautam engages the reader from the beginning and maintains that engagement throughout the work, even for the rapist, a character wonderfully drawn, and rivalling any character I have ever read for sheer repulsiveness.

I had only one real criticism of the work, and it is really an issue of presentation rather than anything going to the core of the work. Throughout the book there are many phrases and sentences, even groups of several sentences, in a language which I take to be Hindi, although I am aware that India has a number of languages, so it might be something else. My point, however, is that it is not English. Although one doesn't wish to be ethnocentric, and the country and culture of India are central, even cardinal to the work, the thing is that this edition has been translated into (or perhaps written in) English, and is therefore intended for English speakers to read. It is therefore a flaw when parts of it are unable to be read. I would have much preferred to see the English for these sections given, perhaps in parentheses immediately afterwards IF the foreign language was really necessary, but I suspect that in many cases this was not so. I do not, of course, refer to single words or phrases, such as 'beta', which are accessible enough from the context.

All in all, though, a fine, fine piece of work, and for a debut novel, really extraordinary, and I should be surprised if this book does not live on as a classic text in its subject.

[Shoma Abhyankar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kirtida Gautam, a clinical psychologist and an alumna of FTII, Pune did an extensive research on the rape laws of the country and knows her subject psychology well.
The story revolves around a 16 year old Aarush accused of rape. Each and every person who interacts with Aarush has been given a distinct voice in the story and story inches forward with all the characters of the story contributing in the character sketch and thought process of the accused.
The typical thoughts prevalent in the society have been brought forward in the story that for every rape committed it is the girl who is blamed and not the perpetrator. The author has identified through victim of the story how the society instead of sympathising and standing by the victim “withdraws emotional and social support making rape a stigma for the victim”
May be it was my wishful thinking or influence of hindi movies which made me hope for a happy ending and triumph of good over bad but the end of the story was closer to the reality of the society. However being a fiction some things have been exaggerated like the stand of grandfather of accused. The grandfather’s attitude towards the whole incident is that of a compassionate and righteous person that is so desirable but again he is not what real society is made of....I would be so happy to see men like Rudransh Kashyap, the grandfather, in real life who believe in standing for what is right. But alas...
Some chapters on psychology are bit too heavy for me but then those are required to understand the complex character of the accused. Again because the work is a fiction, hence the ability of the accused to think through is understood but in real world men indulging in such heinous actions might not be even half as intelligent.
Author has raised the issue that while we instil the fear of rape, of strangers and of going alone somewhere in our daughters but then why we do not scare our sons of the consequences of raping a woman? Why we let our girls express all their emotions but dissuade boys to show emotions of fear and vulnerability thus forcing them to bottle up and in the process become frustrated? We stop our daughters to go out alone at night but why we do not teach our sons to respect and protect women?
By the time I finished the story, I was angry and felt murderous. The recent news of acquittal of the accused juvenile of the Nirbhaya’s case added fuel to the fire and I felt the need to stand against the juvenile rape laws of our country. I felt hatred against those politicians who have so carelessly given opinion that boys make mistake when they are growing up...
Rape is not the fault of women and not some ordinary mistake by men...it is an unforgivable crime and those who violate a woman’s body must be punished with an equal magnitude.
Author has handled the issue very delicately. The book is quite a tough read due to the topic itself along with serious psychology...not for readers who want a quick racy story. A poignant and thought provoking book.

[Meera · Rating 4 out of 5]

#IAm16ICanRape - A thought provoking tale!

When I started reading, I knew this will pique my interest but little did I know this book would be impactful.

To be honest, the title first gave me a shock. It was more like a statement than a title. As it implies, this book talks about rape and juveniles. It exposes the untold side of rape and also questions the sensibility of Indian Juvenile Law. ‘I am 16, Can I rape?’ If a person has the ability to do such a heinous crime, how come he is not an adult? This question is rightly hammered in our minds.

Kudos to the author for she chose this highly sensitive topic for her first novel and she has done justice to it.

Hopping to and fro between the chapters, is an interesting sequence to read. An introductory flowchart as a guide to read the chapters is innovative. The story is grounded in Bangalore, the city where I spent my last year. So it was easy for me to get connected to the localities mentioned.

About the author Kirtida Gautam, she is a clinical psychologist turned screenplay writer from FTII, Pune. Kirtida has used her screenplay skill effortlessly and it worked well for this plot.

Subhangi Tyagi, the rape victim survivor. I was moved by the courage she showed when she admitted that she felt responsible for what happened to her but not guilty. I liked her firm attitude. At one point, unknowingly my eyes welled up with tears, when Subhangi was talking about the difficult moment she underwent. I got emotionally involved.

Aarush Kashyap, a champ for his grandfather, fun loving and caring to his friends, lovable to his girlfriend and a charming guy who any girl would dream of. Each characters in their narration tried to help us to know more about him. But who is he exactly? Just because the story revolved around him, does this mean he is the protagonist? Well, maybe or maybe not. And I liked all the different shades in his character.

Characters were well etched with strong personality and powerful emotions. Every character is pivotal and each of their narration helps to understand the story in different perspective. I liked reading Pihu's chapters and her relationship with Aarush which was sweet and innocent. Other than her, few other characters impressed me with their credibility. Rudransh Kashyap, Ananya and Taz to mention.

During the read I came across couple of words being repetitive. More than one character used the same word multiple times and I couldn’t avoid noticing. Once I got a hang of the story, I couldn't keep this book down. The story maintained its pace throughout except for its length. At the closing, this book changed my perspective on this issue.

#IAm16ICanRape is a mind-boggling psychological thriller and an intense drama which keeps you gripped till the end. Altogether, it is an engrossing story with a profound capacity to stay with us for long. A must have in the must read list.

[Priyanka Lal · Rating 3 out of 5]

The novel, #Iam16icanrape is a work of fiction. It deals with the psychological aspect of rape. Be it the mind-set of the criminal, the survivor or the people associated with both the parties. It specifically talks about the loop-hole in our judicial system regarding juveniles.

The story is definitely inspired from real life incidents. I am sure the author was prompted by the heinous atrocities prevalent and enraging society.
The story, narration is gripping and well presented. The language keeps one interested. The book is quite detailed, talks about the incident and subsequent effects from the perspective of all the major characters. Author has put in sufficient build up, has tried to shock the reader with her vivid and meticulous descriptions.
The chapter arrangement of the book is intriguing, the story starts from the ninth chapter and keeps hopping from one to next. The start is racy, building up the right curiosity and interest in the reader.
The characterisation is good and they talk about their impressions, feelings in detail, but one doesn’t get too many answers and the questions keep multiplying, leading to the book losing pace in the middle, instigating to skip to end. According to chapter numbers, these are the preliminary chapters that come in the middle of the book.
The court scenes were interesting, but few more sessions would have been welcome.
The psychological study of the issue is fascinating. At some places though it becomes technical and an effort for the reader to understand. By the time they are explained, as the book has already dragged on for some time without answers, the inclination to try to understand also fades and one just wishes to know the end.
The overall language of the novel is gripping and witty but I was put off by the use of Hindi words, and repetitions of words. Sometimes not used correctly. There are several proof reading errors as well.
The novel points out, to deal with this phenomena of rape in society, all must take responsibility.
It must be read because it talks of an important issue and any awareness and discussion is call of the hour. The best part being it has been brought to us in a very interesting form via this book.
Some editing would go a long way in making it appealing to the younger age group who might get intimidated with the size.

[Kashefa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining and Thought Provoking


 This is one of those books that will change your outlook towards our society after you are finished with it. 

 It is  funny, melancholic, melodramatic, and thought provoking. 

The authors biggest strength is the multiple points of view of the different characters. This book is written from a lot of different point of views and yet each and every one of them has a distinct "voice" and unique personality.  I enjoyed reading  the little snippets of their lives that resulted into the characters being what they are in the book.

 Another major strength of this book is development of characters as they are impacted by an catastrophic event. How each one perceives it, is impacted by it and by the actions of the other characters due to it and ultimately how they grow as a result of it, is astounding. 

As a reader you feel like you like or dislike a character initially by the end of the book your opinion is completely reversed.  

My favorite character is Aarush Kashyup. He is the compelling antagonist that draws the reader in with his "polymorphic personality". His mental prowess and how he manages to play mind games successfully with so many of his loved ones for such a long time is brilliantly written. 

The "plaine Jane" Shubhangi Tyagi, the protagonist who has tremendous mental fortitude and  points out a major flaw in our society and they way we perceive and treat rape victims as "damaged goods", is brilliantly explained as well.

The great Rudhransh Kashyup whom I dismissed as being an egotistical moron because he considers most  humans as being intellectually deficient and therefore beneath him, surprised me with his stance on seeking justice that would destroy the person he loves most in the world. 

 

Then there is Gayatri the Grandmother, who I initially perceived as being created solely for the purpose of melodrama. By the end however she was the one I could relate to most as being a mother who wonders where  she went wrong with her upbringing.

Overall a very entertaining book you won't regret reading.