In this case, why the boy had taken 7 years to introduce the girl to his parents?
Because from the very beginning he doesn't hold an intention to marry the young lady and he was well aware of the fact that his parents will not permit him to marry her.
A s*xual relationship with a woman after making her a FALSE promise of marriage amounts to rape. The so-called consent under a FALSE promise of marriage is no consent. A man receiving consent to s*xual relations under false pretext does not amount to legal or valid consent and saving him from being accused and punished for rape.
Even if the woman is assumed to be a willing participant in their physical union, the fact that the man had no intention of marrying her would make it an instance where consent was given under a misconception, nullifying the efficacy of approval.
If the accused had made a false promise only to gratify his lust, it will fall within the ambit of cheating or deception and there is a distinction between the mere breach of a promise, and not fulfilling a false promise.
In some situations the prosecutrix agrees to have s*xual intercourse on account of her love and passion for the accused, and not solely on account of misrepresentation made to her by the accused, the situation does not necessarily lead to rape.
Consensual s*x under the promise of marriage is basically cheating, right?
Most other forms of cheating are punishable under Indian law, they have provisions. Like cheated on advertising claims, cheating on financial products, cheating among family members, they all have an outlet to address it and get legal support.
Doesn't this come under the same pretext?