I grew up in a very impoverished home in one of the flood hit villages of Bangladesh. I wanted to study but my parents couldn't afford to send me to school forcing me to drop out of school at an early age. When I was 16 my parents married me off to a man much older than me. Every girl’s dream is to get married. I too had that dream and so when this happened I was filled with much hope. I wanted to love my husband and take good care of him. We enjoyed each other for six months and it seemed like a dream come true.
He put hope in me of coming to Mumbai and getting a good job and thus earn well for the family. After six months of marriage we moved to Mumbai. Coming from Bangladesh is not an easy task I realised. My husband had to pay off the security at the border and had to make several people happy along the way by way of payments. Finally after 2-3 days of travel we landed in Mumbai. My husband took me to lodge where I was finally happy to rest and spend time with my husband planning our future. But I was in for a surprise that was to change my life forever.
I soon found out my husband had sold me off for Rs. 50000 and went away. Life was hell form there. I had no freedom and was treated like a slave to the one who bought me. I used to be beaten, abused and used like everyone's property. Unable to handle it anymore, after a month of the misery I ran away with my friend to my native place. I was so glad to be back to the safety of my home.
After few months my husband came to meet me at my parents' place after hearing about my running away. He made up stories and tried to behave innocent with my family. Finally, he took me back to his home telling me sorry promising never to repeat what happened again. I began trusting him and again came back to Mumbai. We came to Mumbai Central but this time he sent me like a call girl to attend to clients in hotels. I hated what he made me do but if I refused he would beat me up. But blessing came in the form of my pregnancy when I conceived. He sent me back to my parents’ home. Life was so dark and painful with little support or love. When I had a baby boy there was finally sunshine in my life.
When my boy turned 6 months old my father did what any parent does for a married lady staying with her parents. He gave me Rs. 15,000 and sent me back to Mumbai to live with my husband. By this time my husband had moved to one of the Red Light Areas in Mumbai. I came there to live with him. He left me forcing me to sell my body while he lives his life free to do what he wants. He finally left me and got married to another girl. I can only imagine what will happen to that poor girls life seeing where and how he left me! It seems like the story keeps getting repeated.
Recently I have become close to another man. He promised to love and take care of me. He too left me pregnant and deserted me. My lover whom I accept as my husband did not want the child. He in fact started denying that this child was his and started accusing me she must belong to some other customer. I was in a dilemma. I didn't want to kill my second baby but neither could I care for her. Many in the area were asking for my baby if I didn't want her. However, I met some staff from Purnata who encouraged me to have the baby. They promised to help me give the baby for adoption and through their help I was able to give my newborn baby girl recently to a couple who needed a child.
Now all I want is to move out from this place, be trained in a skill and find a good job to bring up my son. He is all I have and want to give him a good future.