I work for 11 minutes a day.
My hands are dirty on few days,
and on others, it is my heart.
"Growing up, even I want
to be like didi,"
says my younger one.

In her world,
I fit perfectly with a
Nobel prize in my hand
and a "Dr." next to my name.

But, in my own,
I am a word often glanced at
twice in the dictionary,
easily replaceable, yet not many do.

Sometimes, I feel these 11 minutes
stretch in between the
"sex worker" and "prostitute"
and between them, I settle for
those beady eyes that look at me
each day I wake up, for my share
of 11 minutes, and her share of
a 11 lettered word for me:

'i-n-s-p-i-r-a-t-i-o-n'.

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Screams of her traded dignity

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I put red lipstick on her full lips every day, as if it's her wedding night. I try to live this fallacy that might never come true.

(Read in caption)

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Chennai Memoirs #2

The Day I Prayed.

"....that's when I saw her.
Pearl white skin, not the lush luminescent shade but the one acquired by cheap makeup. Painted lips, a ramp walk outfit and wild eyes."

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Her body
Throbbing in pain
Her teary eyes
May take some rest?

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Was lost in between the lanes
Of those red light areas.

Ache of her holy soul
Was graved under the
Desires of those unholy knaves.

Pain of her wounded heart
Was forced to be changed into
Moans of painful pleasures.

And her naked body was tired
Of lying down every single night
And let him enjoy her body and soul.

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Shout through her bought moans.

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We talk about harassment at work place.

I think about the work place of sex workers.

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Screams of her traded dignity
can be heard at the side of the roads.
The traffic died these days,
in their pocket too!
Even they are treated untouchable,
whose whole body is touched in night.
They died then, they are dying now.
Just the difference is, now they are dying
due to lack of money,
and then due to lack of mercy.

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(International Sex Workers Day 02 June)
पहली रात,
जिसके बाद समाज उसे वैश्या कहता हैं...!

रात...

रात भर मेरी आबरू को,
अनजान की आगोश में बिखरता देखा..

जब होश में आए,
तो वक़्त को हथेली से फिसलता देखा..

जो बात महफ़ूज़ थी जमाने से,
उस रोज़ मेरे दामन को सरकता देखा...

मेरी एक आह से, मैं खुद सहम जाऊं,
उस रात बिस्तर पर मेरे दर्द को सिसकता देखा...

बेबस और मायूस मेरे दिल-ए-जज़्बात थे,
जब सुबह की रोशनी में आईना देखा...

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