Quiz me on things like- the most memorable experience, happiest moment of life and vice versa, one will find me speechless…I begin to wonder…Can I let out just one such instance from a period as long as 24 years? And there’s more to come for the rest of my life…

But when I sit back, relax and contemplate…a few experiences in my life leave me speechless…

The beautiful smile on their faces, the ecstasy of being treated as a fellow human…my senses could feel it all. I was a little apprehensive on the first day of my interview with a sex worker...I mean I had heard of them through papers, magazines and word of mouth and seen them in the virtual space…But in real? No. So my apprehensions were, but natural. I had my own pre-conceived notions...thanks to Bollywood…But the very first glance, and I was proved wrong…

A little girl entered the dingy hotel room where I was waiting to interview my first respondent for my development communication project. Sultana smiled at me and sat down. I was still in the state of trance. But that did not stop me from letting out a friendly smile…which came very naturally…I wanted her to be comfortable so that I get the best out of her…Language was a hindrance…She spoke in her local dialect. But I somehow managed to communicate.

The time spent with Sultana was indeed great…She was at ease…because there was nobody in the room to shout at her, ill-treat her & chase her out simply on the grounds that she is a sex worker, a work considered demeaning in our society. The interaction was all about HIV/AIDS, use of condoms, her clients, the money she earned etc. and at times a few personal questions to get a better perspective…

The interview with Sultana was over & she quickly left. She had no time to spare…She would lose her clients and hence the money she earned to feed herself…

But the brief interaction with her left me disturbed…a girl like Sultana who was hardly in her teens was a sex worker! At an age when she should have gone to a school and enjoyed like girls of her age do, she was roaming around the busy lanes of Dimapur, looking for customers, entertaining them and thus earning money. It was indeed hard earned money…and can u believe? A minimum of 5-6 customers every day. Their work had simply no time frame.

The project work continued for two weeks and within this time frame I interviewed as many as 50 sex workers of different age groups…

Their plight was same: Poverty. If some wanted money to feed themselves and their families, other wanted money to buy drugs. Most of them were willing to leave this work if financial assistance was assured…while some had reconciled to the circumstances and wanted to stick to this work…For them there is no coming back…

Happy or sad, they are leading their lives. Past holds no relevance and thoughts of future simply doesn’t bother them. They are enjoying today, not very sure of tomorrow.

It is the Present that matters…