Being in college for Lisa is getting freedom to do her own things. Specifically, chasing your dreams. She wanted to be a scientist since her childhood. She came to college with the hope of getting the degree she wanted and to explore and get new experiences.  She was really excited and before leaving for college she told her parents, “I am going to have a lot of experiences and stories to tell you guys when we meet for the weekends.” Then she left for campus. Studies really matter to her. She is a hard working girl and always get good grades in high school. A teacher in high school had really inspired to know more about science and technology. So, she joined the college hoping to get the degree in Biotechnology. She was feeling like a bird that can look for the sky. During the orientation week she met with a guy. He was really cool and friendly with her. He had a beautiful girl. So she thought that it would be okay to be friend with him.

Both of them were in the same class. She said, “I am really happy to be in this class and I got my friend as a class mate.” Things were really going well. They were good as friends. They used to meet in the library and even go out for coffee. It was going well. Until one day, his girlfriend went out of the city for the weekends. He asked her to come over his place so that they can study and hangout together. She said, “Okay and I have some problems with the Mathematics. I need your help.” On the weekend she went to his place. They studied and after that planned to watch movies together. As they were watching movies together, he leaned in her shoulders. She was okay as she thought we are friends. But he started to touch all over his body. She said, “No, stop touching all over my body.”  She didn’t feel good so she pushed him back. He apologized to her immediately and gave the reason that he was missing his girlfriend so badly. She was so shocked for the reason that he gave. She then quickly gathered her books and ran out of his dorm. She told, “I don’t like it and I cannot tell his girlfriend about this.” So, she didn’t tell anyone about it.

He used to text her with apologies and since they were in the same class, it had been really hard for Lisa to face him. But one day she decided to forgive him.  Few weeks before the final exams, all of her friends along with him went to her friend’s house party. It was such a beautiful time for her to hang out with friends and take a break from the studies. She was totally comfortable there. She went to grab some drinks and danced for some time. She was just tired and resting on the couch. Then one of friend of a friend accidently or intentionally poured drink over her dress. Then her friend told her to go upstairs and change the dress. She went upstairs to her room. “I remember I was feeling dizzy and cursing the person that poured the drink into me.” Then he walked into the room. She told, “I closed the door before changing my dress. How do you came inside?” “I was stammering but I only drank apple juice”, she told. Then he using his strong hands threw into the bed. Lisa was saying, “No don’t do this. I don’t like it.” Then he started to take off Lisa’s clothes. Lisa said, “I know what he was doing to my body but I couldn’t scream. I was in pain and had no energy at all. I was saying NO and NO but nobody was listening. He was touching with his hands all over my body. I didn’t like it.”  Next day when she woke up she found herself with him in bed. It was like 9 a.m. in the morning. She tried to memorize what happened yesterday night. She was having a very bad head ache. Then she remembered what he did. She began to cry and left away from there immediately.

Lisa came back into the dorm. Her roommate asked her if she was okay. She said, “I am fine just little hangover from yesterday.”  She went to take the shower and whole taking shower flashes of how he touched her body came into her mind and she began to hate her own body by scratching with nails with anger and crying so badly. She kept remembering that night and wasn’t able to focus on anything. She was being traumatized after that event. She then started to talk less and was going through really bad time because finals were like only week away. She couldn’t read and prepare for finals. She kept all the things to herself. She was going through a lot and she didn’t have that courage to tell to others. Anyway finals came hitting her head. She could not perform well in finals. Then for the winter break, she went to home and told everything what happened to her parents. They were so shocked. They asked her, “Have you told anyone about it?” She said, “No”. Instead of supporting her, her parents told her to withdraw from the college and to go to another university. She was expecting to get support to fight but she was hurt because they were telling her not to make it public. They convinced her saying that, “It will take a long process so it would be better to focus on studies and make carrier.” At that time Lisa felt that they were right. She was sent to the psychiatric to get out from that trauma.  She went to another university and graduated from there but she still make her think about what if I told the police about it and get him punished. This was the biggest regret of her life. She was the one in four female undergraduate who is the victim of sexual assault before graduation. She says, “Nobody should be forced to have sexual relation without their permission. It is really disgusting and really hard to go through it. You know the difference between sex and sexual assault; it’s all about the willingness. So NO Means NO.”