Sunaina was a cute little soul, born to the parents of a poor landless laborer from a remote village in West Bengal. She was 14 years old when she got married: young, beautiful, illiterate. Couple of years after marriage she came to Delhi with her husband in search of livelihood, with some hope and a dream for a good life. Least she knew where was she destined to be.
Even before she could realize what a married life in Delhi would be, her husband forced her into prostitution. She cried, she shouted for days and finally succumbed. He needed money to fulfill his thrust for alcohol, and she had to earn money to bring up her three little kids, two daughters and one son. She earned and sent her daughters to a low budget hostel for good education. She wanted them to be away from her life of guilt and everyday family abuses.
Twenty years just passed by, husband died, children got married. Daughters didn’t keep much contact with her. She was not complaining about her daughters’ attitude either. Sunaina kept on working as she had to look after his son’s family expenses. Now her son needed money from her for alcohol, though, he knew that his mother earned money as a sex worker but he preferred to remain silent and enjoy the money.
Sunaina was a non-brothel sex worker when I met her during one of our counseling sessions with sex workers of GB road, New Delhi. She was not earning much at that time because of her age and being low on energy.
Sunaina wanted to learn some skills and take up some other job. For her, it was important that she earn for herself, for her son and for her grandson. Her grandson was her last hope to revive the family legacy from alcohol addicts to non-alcoholic. She wanted to provide best education, best neighborhood, everything best possible to her grandson, the third generation of man in her personal life and for that she had to continue working and earning.
Whether you want to buy alcohol, good education or a good life, Money matters…And a woman manages all these in-spite of worst possible scenario!
Dr.Bani Bora:
Founder, Centre for Social Change, Noida,UP.
