I was 15 years old and my little sister was 13 years old when mashi sent us to the brothel. Before starting work, she got us a Copper-T, so that we would not become pregnant. My sister and I were sent to different places but we were sometimes brought together to meet our mother at mashi's house. I was in Wadibondor. I don't know how much I earned the first year as mashi kept my income. The second year, I got 3,000 rupees per month, which I gave to my mother. My sister did the same.
I started work at an age when girls are married, so I could cope. But my little sister was too young. I did not like this. Sometimes she cried, I felt very sad but there was nothing I could do.
We were 60 girls in one building. Quite a few were Nepali. Under one malkeen, there were 10 girls. Most days, I did 6 to 7 men, sometimes I did more. Clients were Pakistani, Saudi, Kuwaiti and Indian. At first, I did not like it, and then it was O.K. If a girl refused to work, she was beaten. We could not go out. We were prisoners. Customers paid the malkeen and after a customer left we were searched in case we hid some money. It was not possible to run away. But even if we could, where would I have gone? My mother was in this line, I was the eldest of the family and I felt responsible for my brothers and sisters. I had to help my mother.
Narrative located in the report ‘Beyond Boundaries: A Critical Look at Women Labour Migration and the Trafficking Within’ by Thérèse Blanchet provided courtesy of The Child Protection Hub
