Chapter 16: The Young Man

The young and naive Rohan was a Vaishya, which was considered a lower caste compared to the Kshatriya caste.

Moreover, in many northern states of India, caste discrimination is quite serious, and even the Vaishyas and Shudras are often merged and equated. In other words, Vaishyas are only slightly higher than the Dalit untouchables.

Although the caste system has been legally abolished in India, discrimination against lower castes by higher castes is still prevalent in real life.

This phenomenon is more severe in poorer regions, such as rural areas with limited access to information.

Generally speaking, caste discrimination is more pronounced in northern India, whereas the southern states have better conditions due to their stronger economies.

With economic development and greater openness, the importance of money has become more significant, reducing caste-based distinctions to some extent.

In comparison, economically developed metropolitan cities like Mumbai have a more relaxed attitude toward caste.

Moreover, the political influence of lower castes is increasing. Due to their large population base, major political parties seek their support to gain votes.

Just like in this beauty pageant, the lower-caste contestants secured first and second place due to the politicians backing them.

However, this kind of discrimination cannot be completely eradicated.

After hearing what Lata Shinde said, Rohan realized that she was a casteist.

As a police officer, Rohan spent most of his time outdoors, exposed to the sun, which had darkened his skin tone.

In India, dark skin is often associated with lower castes, although there are exceptions even among high castes such as Brahmins. Nevertheless, the majority of dark-skinned individuals belong to lower castes.

Additionally, as a lower-ranked police officer, Rohan was aware that people from higher castes generally did not take up such jobs.

Within the police department, higher-caste individuals usually start at the inspector level, while lower-caste individuals occupy the lower ranks.

So, Lata was able to immediately determine Rohan's caste and began discriminating against him.

Initially, Rohan could understand her frustration—it was his fault for stepping on her skirt. But now, the situation had changed.

As someone with a different cultural perspective in his past life, he found caste discrimination repugnant, especially when directed at him.

"Ms. Shinde, this is discrimination. I demand that you apologize to me," Rohan said firmly.

Lata was stunned by Rohan's words. She clearly hadn't expected a lower-caste person to speak to her in such a manner.

"How dare you speak to Miss Shinde like that? Call your superior here! Let's see if he will support a clueless officer like you," one of her male companions sneered.

"You're just a first-class police officer. Do you believe I can't have you beaten up?" another young man, eager to impress Lata, threatened.

They were obviously her supporters, possibly even suitors, and were infuriated by Rohan's response.

To them, this was a great opportunity to impress Lata by putting a lower-caste officer in his place.

"There are a lot of media reporters here. Should I call them over? Let's see what the headlines say about Miss Shinde and caste discrimination," Rohan said mockingly. He had no patience for these sycophants.

"What's going on here?" Suddenly, a middle-aged man in his forties pushed his way through the crowd. He had fallen behind by a few steps, but now he sensed trouble.

He had caught parts of the conversation, especially when Rohan mentioned caste discrimination, and his heart skipped a beat.

He knew that Lata held strong prejudices against lower castes.

Currently competing for the title of Miss Maharashtra, Lata could not afford such a scandal. If this matter reached the media, all the effort invested in her would be wasted.

Although caste discrimination is common in high society, it remains a private matter. If reported in the news, especially for a public figure like Lata, the consequences would be severe.

If this incident blew up, Lata's chances of winning would be completely ruined.

To boost her chances in the beauty pageant, the middle-aged man had spent heavily on advertisements and publicity, hoping to launch her career in the film and television industry.

"Officer, I sincerely apologize for the misunderstanding," the man quickly said to Rohan.

Rohan recognized him as Lata's agent. As an experienced professional, the agent understood that making a scene would not benefit anyone.

"Who are you? You weren't the one who insulted me. Why are you apologizing?" Rohan asked indifferently.

Rohan's words made the agent uncomfortable. As a well-known figure in the industry, he had never been spoken to in this manner by a low-ranking police officer.

However, his instincts told him that this officer was inexperienced. Young and reckless, such officers had no regard for consequences and could escalate matters unpredictably.

With so many reporters and cameras around, even the smallest incident could spiral out of control.

The agent glanced at Lata and signaled her with his eyes.

Lata's expression turned sour, realizing the gravity of the situation. She wasn't a fool.

Gritting her teeth, she whispered, "I'm sorry. I was wrong just now. I hope you can forgive me."

"Ah, Miss Shinde, the time is almost up. Please hurry inside," Bharat interjected at that moment.

Bharat had witnessed part of the confrontation but hesitated to intervene earlier, fearing that he might worsen the situation for Rohan.

If the issue escalated, the senior officers would investigate, and given Lata's status, the police officers involved would likely suffer.

Although he didn't understand why Lata had suddenly apologized to Rohan, he felt it was best to end the matter here.

Lata glanced at Rohan, as if waiting for his reaction.

"Please proceed, Miss Shinde. I wish you all the best," Rohan said calmly.

Hearing this, Lata and her group left hurriedly.

"What happened, Rohan? That was intense! Why did you argue with them?" Bharat asked, still shaken.

Rohan briefly explained how the confrontation started due to caste discrimination.

"Rohan, you're too hot-headed. It's not worth it. If she had gone to the higher-ups, you'd be in serious trouble," Bharat sighed. "Better to let them be."

Bharat, a Shudra, was accustomed to such discrimination.

"We shouldn't let them get away with it," Rohan replied firmly.

Bharat could only smile helplessly. He felt that Rohan's temper would get him into trouble one day.

But Rohan wasn't reckless. He knew Lata wouldn't dare escalate the situation further. That's why he had stood his ground.

Besides, what could she do to him now?

By tomorrow, he would be back at his police station, and she wouldn't even know where to find him.

Shaking off the incident, Rohan and Bharat resumed their duty of maintaining order at the event.

The beauty pageant had officially begun, and as the audience focused on the stage, the atmosphere became less chaotic.

The police officers, in groups of three or five, also turned their attention to the event.

Watching the contestants, some officers began discussing their favorites, making casual remarks. Even Bharat, usually composed, joined in, momentarily distracted by the dazzling spectacle before them.