By Sanyukta Iyer
A sex worker who was forcibly compelled to work as a prostitute in her teens at City’s red light area, shares her predicament she has gone through since the age of 15 when she was brought to the city from Karnataka.
Reshma, 18 years old, who was brought to Budhwar Peth in Pune when she was only 15 years old, is a sex worker. She has worked for a few months in a village in Karnataka that she cannot recall and has also lived and worked in the red light areas of Mumbai.
She now works in a brothel, not very hygienic and not very well paid. She visits the NGO, SAHELI frequently and now aspires to learn English.
Q. How does it feel to be here? You do know that life is beautiful and you have a long way ahead?
A. Well! For now, I want to happily commit suicide. I want to happily die and that too now. Right now as I speak to you there is a raid that is taking place. Police men, not local are taking dozens of women in trucks. These women are not being rescued or jailed. They are going to be used for more unsatisfied men. They will be used; at least here they are paid. So this is life here, the more you run, the safer you are. Is this the life anyone wants?
I am paid Rs. 120 for about half an hour, Rs. 1000 if I can manage a customer for a night. I sleep at 3am and wake up at 6am. I’m not happy with where I live. Life may be beautiful, but it doesn’t seem so for me.
Q. How did you come here? Do you have a family?
A. My aunt got me here. I lived in Delhi before. I have no family, no brother or sister. It’s not nice when I have sleepless nights because I miss my mother. My aunt works in a different brothel here, I work in a different one. She is nice, and she got me here as I had nowhere to go and unfortunately neither did she.
We are actually free you know, I have taken a train and gone off to work somewhere else with my aunt. I can leave and go out. I have a good ‘Garhwali’ and so it’s easier for me and also I don’t have any money, so they know I won’t run away.
Q. Who are your clients? Is there a specific time or day for customers?
A. We have customers during the day, they are more form 6pm to 11 in the night. After those hours we even have customers coming to us in 4 wheelers. They come from all places and they have all kinds of jobs. We even get many uniformed people coming to us. Sometimes people hide and come, but we know who is who.
Reshma loves going to Shaniwar Wada, a heritage monument close to where she lives. She enjoys sitting on the mighty fort and loves to click photographs whenever she can get hold of a camera. She is a quick learner with electronics and loves playing ‘snake’ on a cell phone. She also loves listening to fast, hip-hop songs even though she doesn’t understand a word. She often has fun going to the nearby, local and cheep cinema hall where she catches up on some movie. She watches TV at her brothel.She loves is Chocolates.
Q. How much has SAHELI helped you?
A. I had to pay Rs. 20 for food where I worked before. It used to become difficult. But here in this centre I can eat dal rice for free. I also get clothes from SAHELI and I love to attend their programmes. I know how to speak Marathi and after coming here, the didis taught me how to speak Hindi too. They encourage you to stay clean and wear proper clothes. Few weeks ago I wasn’t dressed properly and they explained to me why I should look decent when I go out. They also let us come and sit with them whenever we want. I love talking to them as they always listen.
On a parting note, we told her that now she had us as her friends. Reshma smiled and replied, “You are not my friend from now. You are my sisters.”
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