Lady was wearing yellow sari and white blouse with fair malnourished skin & weary eyes. Lady has striking personality and was busy combing her hair. Often saw her begging alms at the bus-stand by which I carry back myself to home after my tutions. This is the time I was preparing for entrance exam that is major goal for my friends of class. My parents believe I should have same such goal. So I am striving hard to take it up.
That day she did something that made believe that is not living by alms alone. She quickly combed her hair and taken out a sari from her plastic bag that I believed to have her days’ earn. She went behind the bus shelter and emerged out like spark!! Lady is now not only looking beautiful but also looking fresh. What a make-over that dresses can bring on. She walked across the road where an man was waiting eagerly. I could hear their talk about two people waiting in a nearby lodge [Indian motel]. I realized that the man is a pimp and she is a prostitute.
Never in my life, I though I would see a prostitute. At that age [17 years] in India, even 1% of youth might have met a prostitute. My thoughts are disarrayed as the lady walked hurriedly into the busy street.
It has become my routine thereafter to see the lady taking whereabouts of her prospective customers from the man. I saw her clad in various colors of saris but she is always noted as yellow clad in my thoughts. Those weary eyes do haunt me. I was very scared to stand close by her while comes for her alms. Always kick myself that I could have given a rupee or two when she stopped being spotted again.
Later on, I have read that there are many such helpless women in and around who trade their flesh to fight hunger. My eyes water sometime for the lady in yellow sari. Those weary eyes always question me what is HUNGER? Why are we helpless and are defeated often by this demon?
No comments:
Post a Comment