Sir, want to enjoy?

“Sir, want to enjoy? Rs. 200 is

the charge. Bengali, Haryanvi,

Kashmiri and Malyali girls, aged

between 16 to 21 are available.

Sir, let’s go have a look. Checking

out won’t cost you anything,” he

says.

Walk through the area

and you will see many

such pimps wandering

around searching for

potential clients. It is business as usual

on G.B. Road, the capital’s infamous

Red Light area. Young women with

excessive make up on their tired faces

peep out of the iron-framed windows,

their only source of contact with the

outside world as they are seldom

permitted to venture out of the dingy,

old buildings.

By afternoon, they are seen vigorously

waving and gesturing at passers-by in

an attempt to lure them into the

brothels. After meeting with 10-15

clients on an average, they have their

last meal and put the day to rest in the

early hours of the morning. Almost

4500 sex workers living on G.B. Road

follow this routine – day after day.

Even as Delhi-ites gear up to celebrate

the festivities of Dussehra, Diwali and

Eid, the young women who are trapped

in these congested brothels have little

to cheer. The only thing they are

looking forward to is a bigger tip as

there is “more demand” during the

festival season.

One such girl is 20-year-old Bimla, who

came to Delhi from Muzaffarpur,

Bihar, two and half years ago to work

as a maid. She says she was forced into

becoming a sex worker subsequently.

When her family learnt about her

profession, they disowned her.

However, she still sends a part of her

earnings to her family. She deeply

misses her family, especially her

younger sister. Today, her only contact

with her sister is an occasional phone

call.

As the profession entails no breaks, the

festivities actually boost the business

and mean more time commitment

from the workers. “Usually, I get 10 to

20 clients per day and sometime even

less if the market is down,” says Bimla.

Danish Khan

C H R Y S A L I S 11

­­OCTOBER­2012

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Sex workers trying to lure customers to their brothels on G. B. Road

Danish GB Road Story 11-12 Final_Layout 1 11/3/2012 3:34 PM Page 1

“During the festival season we get good

business as clients pay anywhere

between Rs. 500 to Rs. 1000 without

creating a fuss and they also tip us well.

Festival season is a really good time for

our business. Otherwise when market

is down, we make as little as Rs. 200

per client.”

The walls of Bimla’s brothel are

adorned with pictures of religious

figures such as Gurunanak, Sai Baba

and passages from the Holy Quran.

“During Dussehra and Diwali, I pray to

God just like you people do and I ask

for the same things you people ask for.

But we get back to our work after

drinking some alcohol as it’s a good

time for our business and we don’t

want to lose out on the potential to earn

good money. We all want to enjoy and

not work but we can’t afford to do this.

May be, this is also a way to celebrate,”

says Bimla.

Bimla’s schedule is handled by the

caretaker or the nayika (brothel head)

in coordination with the pimps who

bring in clients. Like the other girls,

Bimla has accepted her routine as a

part of her life – a life at is punctuated

by clients, pimps and the brothel-in-

charge.

Vijay, a pimp who is in the business

since the last 12 years, says he hates it

when clients create a mess. “Many

young and old fellows come here drunk

and abuse us - pimps, nayika (brothel

head) and the sex workers,” he says.

“They demand to take the sex workers

out with them which is strictly not

allowed. Also, some of the clients

become regular to the Kotha’s and get

attached to one sex worker and at times

they fall in love and try taking her out

which is not allowed. That is where they

create trouble for themselves and the

sex worker as they ignite a desire in the

sex worker to go out of this place which

is not possible in any way.”

According to Bimla, army men also

create a lot of trouble and treat sex

workers badly. “Sometime they beat us,

abuse us and refuse to pay which is our

right,” she says.

Head constable Baljeet Dhaiya who is

posted on G.B. Road tries to shoo

people away from the streets and

prevent pimps and sex workers from

luring clients. “This is a very dirty

place,” he says. “People should not stop

here and be entertained by sex workers.

They should mind their own business

and move on. It’s the public who is

responsible for all this mess.” During

the festival season, the policy deploys

extra staff in the area, he adds.

Rani, a sex worker from West Bengal,

sounds despondent about the festival

season. Festivals don’t really make a

difference to her. “Koi farak nahin

padta. Yehi hota aaya hai aur hota

rahega.”

maildanishahmad@gmail.com

During Dussehra andDiwali, I pray to Godjust like you peopledo and I ask for the

same things youpeople ask for.

BimlaSex worker

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C H R Y S A L I S 12

Sex workers look out of their dingy brothel rooms on a Sunday afternoon

Danish GB Road Story 11-12 Final_Layout 1 11/3/2012 3:34 PM Page 2