We are 3 sisters and 3 brothers. Our family was very poor and I had to look for a job early. An elderly woman from a neighbouring village proposed to my mother that I accompany her to Kolkata where she would find me a job. That woman sold me in Sonagachi. I was 15 years old. The fist year, my malkeen kept all my income. The next two years, I worked as an adiya under the same malkeen. Meanwhile, I learned about the brothel and brought my elder sister.
As an adiya, I had a babu (a regular man/lover). Eventually we married and I left the brothel. I stayed outside with him for a few years but I was not happy. Everyday, he reminded me of where I came from. I did not conceive, and he blamed me for it. While in the para, I had an abortion and I probably damaged my womb. Because of his bad treatment, I returned to the brothel. In a short while, I got another babu and, with his help, I became a malkeen. There was no divorce with the first babu but he does not come anymore. My second babu is about 42 years old and is well connected with the club.
I visit the village with my babu several times a year. We cross the border at Hakimpur. The cost is one thousand taka per return trip for the two us. I have adopted one daughter. She is now 5 years old and lives with my mother in the village.
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