The Vignette styled chapters of SOLD takes me to harsh journey from mountainous village of Nepal to one of the brothels of India. Travelling with 13 years old Lakshmi, only thing I could do was to pray that Lakshmi never exist nor her story. However, tucked under my blanket with the book by Patricia McCormick, I could never share a single part of pain almost 200,000 Nepalese girls are facing right now at those brothels of India.
Cover
The smooth description of beautiful village of Nepal tucked under the extreme poverty and ignorance that works as the pushing factor for girls trafficking in Nepal has been excellently described. Lakshmi has no option to leave to work when she came to know the problem is not only limited to tin roof. The rain has washed away their plantation, money received selling her mother's earrings are already gambled by her step-father and they will have nothing to eat in few days to come.
The journey from the village to India with Bimala Aunty and Uncle Husband is full of contrast drawn by a small village girl visiting city for the first time. Peeking city through those innocent eyes, we searched for golden roof of city's houses, wonder how bus and truck are moving and is confused seeing more villages beyond the cities.
The journey with Uncle Husband gives us glimpse of poor intervention strategy between border of Nepal and India unable to stop about 20 girls heading India to meet Lakshmi fate every day.
After she reached to Happiness House, the series of tragic moments start. Discovering the fact that she is SOLD, she has to now serve her body to costumer, denial, physical and mental torture, unbearable hunger, longing to village and continuous torture inside a room at last ended tearing the readers apart when Lakshmi has no option than to serve her first costumer Habib in intoxication of some medicine given with Lassi by Mumtaz, the brothel owner who bought Lakshmi. It continues till Lakshmi became used to it and has no option than to become one of them just in hope to go away from there after paying Mumtaz's loan. A 13-years old girl starts her journey planning to bring half-dozen men to her bed everyday to pay her debt to Mumtaz.
However, the harsh reality is yet to come, when she realizes she won't ever be free till she is of no use to Mumtaz. Mumtaz will always find some way to trap her. Lakshmi was just living in an illusion that she is serving her family for none of her earnings were sent to her mother. It was Mumtaz taking all her earnings and giving back nothing.
Amidst of this inhuman world, author shed some lights of hope, friendship and light. Lakshmi befriended with some girls at her brothels. Her friends shed light to other facts of the brothels. Shahanna and Anita, from Nepal itself, are sold like Lakshmi there. Shahanna though very close to Lakshmi disappeared when there was police raid after Mumtaz was ate to bribe them. Anita never dared to think to go away from Happiness House like Lakshmi for her previous try was failure damaging her right sided face. She could not even smile after that.
Monica like Lakshmi works at brothel to provide money to her family and daughter. But when she is out of the house going her village thinking her family will honour her for her deed, she is not allowed to enter village stating she will dishonour her family. Even her daughter is informed that she is dead. Later, she caught virus and is devastated out of the Happiness House.
Another girl, Pushpa came to Happiness House with her 2 children when her husband died. She has to the house when leave she got sick for long and Mumtaz declared Pushpa is no more than a waste of money.
Harish, son of Pushpa, got close with Lakshmi teaching her some words. He while going out of brothel is planning to break stone so that he could feed his mother and sister.
As statistics says only one out of hundred Nepalese girls sold in Indian brothels are rescued, Lakshmi became one out of hundred to get out of there.
Still I wonder Lakshmi is out of Happiness House but would she get out of the society? Would not she be meeting the same fate of Monica? Readers while flipping the pages of book should be strong enough to travel the harsh fate of Lakshmi wondering as the sub-title of the book says, "CAN SHE EVER BE FREE?"..!