Bhavik's POV
The light and free demeanor of Mayuri that I was graced with for a few moments quickly went back into hiding and was replaced with her melancholic expression.
(vah yahan nahi aaee, vah yahaan kee hai)
"She didn't get here, she is from here" she replied monotonously
"What do you mean from here?" I asked my voice laced with confusion, curiosity and a sense of dread as I had a hint of what she was getting to.
(yahaan se matalab yahaan paida hua)
"From here, means born here" she answered simply as if it wasn't that big of a deal, but seeing my expression that reflected my voice she let out a sigh before standing up and continuing as she slowly walked around the bed
(...yeh uska ghar aur uska pariwar hai, vah iske alawa aur koi duniya nahin janate)
"When men come and fuck the women in the brothels they often leave many trophies behind. They don't even know or care about them, She is one such trophy gifted by those men. Shaswati is the daughter of one of the prostitutes that used to work here, Badal didi. Her mum died while giving birth and so me and the other girls in the brothel have raised her. This is her home and her family, she doesn't know any other world beside this"
I didn't know how to react, I had never heard of such things and the way in Mayuri was saying it, made it seem so normal but then again when thinking about it I guess it is pretty logical and it only makes sense.
(kya aap jante hain uske baap kaun hai)
"Do you know who her father is? '' I ask, getting up from the bed myself and moving toward the bedpost. Mayrui looks at me amused and lets out a sarcastic chuckle before walking towards the cupboard
(ham har raat 3 se chhah purushon ke saath sote hain, agar ham mein se ek pregnant ho jati hai, to kya aap sachme mein sochte hain ki ham yah jaan paenge ki pita kaun hai)
"We sleep with three to six men every night, if one of us gets pregnant do you really think we would be able to know who the father is? She asks me turning back to face me with a slight smile.
(nahin, hum nahin jaante ke pita kaun hai, lekin varshon se hamen lagata hai ki ham jaanate hain ki yah kaun ho sakata hai)
"Nah, we don't know who the father is for sure but over the years we think we know who it might be." She answered her own question. "He's a regular customer, a man in his 50's, Mr Kumar Rao. We don't know for sure but we have pieced together her features and they resemble his and didi's, not only that he was a frequent visitor of Badal didi and when she was still alive that was the only girl he went for..." she continued
(aur ab aisa lag raha hai ki vah apni beti ke liye ja rahe hain. vah suar pichhale ek saal se shaasvatee par najar gadae hue hai, beshak vah nahi janta ki yeh uski beti hai, lekin aisa nahi hai ki agar usne aisa kiya to bhee vah paravaah nahin karega.)
" and now it seems like he's going for his daughter. That pig has been eyeing Shaswati for the past year, of course he doesn't know that it's his daughter but it's not like he would care even if he did. The people that come here dont give a fuck about who they are pleasuring themselves on and don't give a second thought about if its their sister,mother or daughter, bloody, motherfuckers..." she spat in vile distaste.
I stood there dumbfounded by disgust at what I was hearing, I had never imagined such people existed who could look at their daughter in such a way. I could feel my stomach churning and feeling sick as I struggled to digest what I was hearing.
"Wait does Shashwati know about...I mean does she like umm do ..." I had the sudden thought of the kid actually sleeping with men and I felt my fist clench in anger and my heart drop as I struggled to complete my sentence not being able to even say such things about her let alone fathom how men would want to sleep with a child their daughters or granddaughters age.
Mayuri looked at me and understood what I was trying to say. Her expressions softened slightly as she shook her head indicating a no as she moved away from the cupboard and made her way to the open window that looked out onto the street.
(vah jaanti hai ki purush hamare saath sone ke lie aate hain aur bas, vah nahin jaanatee ki ve hamaare saath kya karate hain)
" She knows that the men come here to sleep with us and that's it, she doesn't know what they do to us... It was easier to explain things to her when she was younger but know she growing, she's starting to ask us why we dressed so strangely and why she isn't allowed to dress like that, we told her that it's because the men like it and since she doesn't sleep with men she doesn't need to dress like that... But how much longer can we hide the truth from her..."
(vah yahaan kee sabhee ladakiyon ke lie betee kee tarah hain. jis din se vah paida hui thee, usee din se humne usaka paalan-poshan kiya, hamane use vah sab kuchh sikhaaya jo ham jaanate the, aur hamane use in chaar deevaaron ke bheetar sabase saamaany jeevan dene kee koshish kee... usaka bachapan hamen apanee aur hamaare pahale ke jeevan kee yaad dilaata hai, usakee paayal kee aavaaj aur usakee sureelee aavaaj hamen deedee bulaatee hai aur har subah hamen jagaana maanavata mein hamaare vishvaas ko bahaal karata hai jab yah ek raat pahale nasht ho gaya tha ...)
" She is like a daughter for all of the girls here. We raised her since the day she was born, we taught her whatever we knew, and we tried to give her the most normal life confined within these four walls. You know she is the life of this place, and one of the only sources of pure happiness. She has never had a life outside this building and so for her this is her whole world and if you think about it I think it best she thinks that... At least in her naivety she can enjoy her life. For us she is the little lamp that radiates the smallest ray of light into this hell of a place, she is the person that keeps us all rooted and in a way sane... Her childishness reminds us of ourselves and our lives before, the sound of her anklets and her melodious voice calling us didi and waking us up every morning restores our faith in humanity after it was destroyed the night before... The way she knows each and everyone of us and how to get on our nerves in the best way possible but also how to wipe our tears and soothe our pain... She keeps us rooted, when we slowly slip away and start forgetting ourselves she always brings us back, she is the single drop of innocence in this palace of sin."
(aur yahee mujhe daraata hai)
" and that's what scares me" her voice suddenly turned dark as she looked at me
(kya matalab hai aapko daraata hai, aur kya yahan aur bhi bachche hain)
"What do you mean scares you, and are there more kids here too" I ask her
(...mere yahan aane se pehle hamare kuch bache paida hue the, lekin ve sabhee ladake the aur unhen raimo ne le jaaya gaya tha, ham nahi jante ki unake saath kya hua..)
She looks down and shakes her head " Shaswati is the only child born here. We have had a few kids born before I came here but they were all boys and they were taken away by Rammo, we don't know what happened to them, probably sent to an orphanage if lucky, or most likely killed, or sold for their organs... We haven't had any pregnancies after Shaswati because of Rasiya di's protest for making condoms compulsory but most likely because Rammo doesn't want to spend on an infant's expenses... Rammo only decided to keep shaswati alive because she was a girl."
(usakee masumiyat aur khush dekh kar hamara dil toot jata hai, yeh jaane ke baad ki use vadh karne ke lie memane kee tarah paala ja raha hai...)
"It breaks our hearts seeing her innocence and happiness after knowing that she is being raised like a lamb to slaughter. Rammo only kept her alive and untouched because of the money a virgin girl is gonna get when he sells her off to the highest bidder... Now that she is older He is waiting for the day she gets her first menses so he can sell her off and be freed from a burden of expense. We've hid the fact she had already received her periods from him for a year now but the kid is only growing and he is bound to grow suspicious and eventually find out sooner or later and that day we will have to let her go."
(lekin hum aisa kaise kar sakte hain, aap hi bata)
"But how can we do that, you tell me.." She questioned my despair and hopelessness in her eyes, but this time not for herself but for Shaswati
(ham apni beti ko jaane kaise de sakte hain ki hum usee kismat mein dhal rahe hain jo hamaare paas hai. ham use kaise bata sakate hain ki vah ab apanee pyaaree deedee kee tarah kapade pahan sakatee hai, lekin iske saath aane vali keemat bhi bata sakte hai...yahee ekamaatr jeevan hai jise vah jaanatee hai ki hum usaka ekamaatr parivaar hain, uske pooree duniya hai, ham use hamare jaisa hee bhagya kaise dekh sakte hain...rokne ke liye hum kuchh nahin kar sakate isalie hamane phaisala kiya hai ki ham use jab tak sambhav ho khushee aur masoomiyat se jeene denge...)
"How can we let our daughter go knowing that we are pushing her into the same fate that we have. How can we tell her that she can now dress like her beloved didi's but also tell her the price that comes with it... We can't even push her out on the streets. She's just 13 and because that's just another road to the same destination, this is the only life she knows we are her only family, her whole world, how can we watch her suffer the same fate as us... We are helpless and there is nothing we can do to stop so we have decided that we will let her live in happiness and innocence as long as we can..."
(... ham use jeene denge aur hum khud ko bhi uski kahani kee duniya mein rahane denge, jahaan woh rajakumari hai jo mahal mein band hai, us din ki pratiksha kar raha hai jab usaka raajakumaar raju aata hai aur khushi se rehne ke liye uske saath door ke raaj mein bhaag jaata hai tab se.)
She turned around facing me and smiled, a small but genuine smile that showed both acceptance and hope "... We will let her live and we will also let ourselves too live in her fairytale world where she is the princess thats locked in the castle waiting for the day her prince Raju comes and runs away with her to a distant kingdom to live happily ever after."
I had a whirlwind of emotions go through me anger, despair, sadness, guilt, confusion, shock, disgust, but despite the sick feeling that was growing in my stomach hearing her story and the blood coursing through my veins that were now popping out from my clenched fist, and the heaviness of my heart knowing that no matter what I try to do I too am just as helpless. But seeing her smile I could help but smile and engage myself in the imaginary fairytale world of Shaswati and believe that her prince will come to save her.
Dhak dhak dak
"Bhaiyaaaaa, didiiiii.... Your times up" Shaswati chanted as she ran into the room causing both of us to snap back from our thoughts and face her.
I opened my mouth to say something to her but was quickly cut off by the high voice of maruyi " Shaswati you used my kajal again didn't you" Scolded Mayuri as she reached to grab her but missed as she swiftly ran around the room laughing and squealing until eventually she grabbed my shirt and hid behind me .
(usake peechhe se nikal jao...)
"Get out from behind him... Last time you broke almost all of it... Wait till I get of you" Mayuri spoke as she tried to dodge around me and grab Shaswati but she managed to get away each time using me as a shield laughing in excitement in which I too joined in on seeing the fun she was having, until eventually she ran out the room rejoicing at her escape. I too followed suit leaving a smiling and panting mayuri standing by the door and a promise to come back soon.
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Rough translation of the song
You came as the pearl
In a beautiful cloud's dream.
Pearl, you came into me in the
Moonlight as some kind of memories
To give my life nectar
Again, darling.
As you lounge around and
Heaven arises on Earth,
Like the virtue of my life,
Even a faded star shines
Like hands full of spring.
All I hear on the bamboo
Flute your gentle lip joins
Is a tender, divine melody.
Like the spell of my life, it fades
Like the desires that adorn my word.