The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) in India, enacted to combat child sexual abuse, is increasingly being used by families to penalize consensual romantic relationships between adolescents, even when there is no exploitation. Nithya, 20, recounts how her relationship with Rajesh, who was four years older, led to charges of kidnapping and rape under POCSO when she was 16 and left home with him due to parental opposition to their inter-caste relationship. Despite her insistence on consent, she was placed in a Children's Home, and Rajesh faced a trial. Similarly, Reena, 16, faced a crisis when she became pregnant by her boyfriend, but a doctor's mandatory reporting obligation under POCSO nearly led to police involvement, forcing her to seek discreet and expensive medical help. The Supreme Court has acknowledged concerns about POCSO's broad application, urging the government to consider a "Romeo and Juliet" clause to exempt close-in-age consensual relationships, though its scope remains undefined.