Mira
I lived with my mother and brother in a village in West Bengal. I began to work as a housemaid when I was just 13, as we were poor. I had to stop going to school as I continued working as a maid. I was 15 when my life changed for the worse.
While I was travelling on a train to pay a visit to my uncle and aunt in another town, a lady sitting beside me kept glancing at me. She started a conversation and asked me about my home village and what I was doing there. I told her the purpose of my journey and about my work in my village. She interrupted and told me that she knows of a place where people get good wages for their work. She suggested that I try it out. At first I refused, but the lady persuaded me to go with her. To be polite, I told her that I would try the job offer after having my mother's permission. The lady did not give up. She asked me to visit the work spot and later decide if I wanted to work there. I consented.
she took me to the railway station where a man came to meet us. She told me that he would take me to the location. I asked them what the name of the place was, but they refused to let me know. By then, I sensed that all was not right, but could not pin it down to one particular event of that day. Things got worse. They brought me food and water and after I had it, I was completely unaware of what happened.
I woke up in a dingy room that smelled. There were girls in the room. Some were sleeping, some were chatting. They were dressed differently and their faces had make-up on. I frantically searched for the lady and the man who escorted me, but they were not there. I asked a girl where I was and she told me that I was at a brothel and I had to sleep with customers. When a customer came in, I refused to go in and the brothel keeper locked me in a room and did not give me food to eat. Eventually, I was forced to do the work. One day a Bengali speaking woman came to the brothel and took me to another place where I was forced again to sleep with many more men. I did not know what place that was. I was there for 3 months.
My day of victory came when the police conducted a raid in the brothel I was in. They found me and I was brought out to freedom and safety. I am now employed at Ruhamah Designs where I am trained to create beautiful jewelry and spend my day with other girls who've experienced difficulties similar to mine.
While I was travelling on a train to pay a visit to my uncle and aunt in another town, a lady sitting beside me kept glancing at me. She started a conversation and asked me about my home village and what I was doing there. I told her the purpose of my journey and about my work in my village. She interrupted and told me that she knows of a place where people get good wages for their work. She suggested that I try it out. At first I refused, but the lady persuaded me to go with her. To be polite, I told her that I would try the job offer after having my mother's permission. The lady did not give up. She asked me to visit the work spot and later decide if I wanted to work there. I consented.
she took me to the railway station where a man came to meet us. She told me that he would take me to the location. I asked them what the name of the place was, but they refused to let me know. By then, I sensed that all was not right, but could not pin it down to one particular event of that day. Things got worse. They brought me food and water and after I had it, I was completely unaware of what happened.
I woke up in a dingy room that smelled. There were girls in the room. Some were sleeping, some were chatting. They were dressed differently and their faces had make-up on. I frantically searched for the lady and the man who escorted me, but they were not there. I asked a girl where I was and she told me that I was at a brothel and I had to sleep with customers. When a customer came in, I refused to go in and the brothel keeper locked me in a room and did not give me food to eat. Eventually, I was forced to do the work. One day a Bengali speaking woman came to the brothel and took me to another place where I was forced again to sleep with many more men. I did not know what place that was. I was there for 3 months.
My day of victory came when the police conducted a raid in the brothel I was in. They found me and I was brought out to freedom and safety. I am now employed at Ruhamah Designs where I am trained to create beautiful jewelry and spend my day with other girls who've experienced difficulties similar to mine.