My mother died when I was 7 years old. My father, a van puller, remarried 9 months later. My stepmother made me work very hard for the family. She regularly beat me. By the age of 14, I started protesting. My father came back tired one night and he pushed me out of the house. I took shelter at a neighbour. Three days later, I visited another village with that family. There, I met Hamida. She offered to take me to Mumbai, teach me dance and fix a good job for me.
-"You will be able to earn well and fend for yourself", she said.
I left without informing my father. I did not have a clear idea about bar work. The first 3 months, she kept me and taught me to dance. I was quite happy to put on beautiful clothes and learn to dance. I felt like a cinema heroin. She gave me good food. I called her Nanni (maternal grand-mother). I trusted her. She used to say:
-"When you earn, I will look after your money and when you go home, you will be able to buy land. You will see your father will love you."
I never suspected Nanni could cheat me. I returned one month ago. She gave me 4,000 rupees and promised that her jamai (daughter's husband) would give me the rest.
- "The money will be transported through a hundi agent. It is too dangerous to carry such large amount yourself. You could get stolen. Look for land you can buy and the money will follow."
I brought gifts for my family. My father looked for land. Today, I came to get the money and Hamida's jamai said nothing had come for me. I could not believe it. Hamida owes me 1,00,000 rupees. I was a good earner. I was young and successful and she used to say I should make the most of it.
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
