Human Trafficking - A Real Story

 A Cover page of book SOLD

I was reading an old newspaper today which was lying in my room for about a week. There I found a review of a nepali version of a book  "Sold" written by Patricia McCormick. The book is about Lakshmi.

Lakshmi is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives with her family in a small hut in the mountains of Nepal. Her family is desperately poor, but her life is full of simple pleasures, like raising her black-and-white speckled goat, and having her mother brush her hair by the light of an oil lamp.in this poverty as well she has clean eyes to see the beautiful dreams. She has a dream to marry to her neighbour Krishna and give birth to his children. But when the harsh Himalayan monsoons wash away all that remains of the family’s crops, Lakshmi’s stepfather says she must leave home and take a job to support her family.

He introduces her to a glamorous stranger who tells her she will find her a job as a maid working for a wealthy woman in the city.She convince her by saying that "the girls of city wear very beautiful dress and bright jwelries. They eat orange and mango daily". She bought Lakshmi only on $10 and bring to city where she sold her to a broker with small profit. Unknowing to all these transactions Lakshmi goes happily with that boy. While crossing border he told her, "From today I'm your Uncle but if police ask you, you must say I am your husband." Then with many tricks he reaches bombay and then they fix the rate of the new girl in fornt of her. Mumtaz an owner of brothel says,"How much?" He answered, "IRs 15000 ($318)."

Mumtaz rules the brothel with cruelty and cunning. She tells Lakshmi that she is trapped there until she can pay off her family’s debt, she beat her with hunters until she agrees to sleep with customers, she kept her inside room for many days without food and also give threaten of her life. One day when Lakshmi refuses to sleep with an old customer, she catches her hair and drags her to the room to throw her on the bed where  the old customer was waiting her to come. Then Lakshmi explains to writer, " The old man press me with the effort of 10 men and climbs on me. Then he kisses me with the mouth of bad onion type of smell." From that day she was forced to sleep with any type of men.

Cover page of translated version of book SOLD

Lakshmi’s life becomes a nightmare from which she cannot escape. Still, she lives by her mother’s words – “Simply to endure is to triumph” – and gradually, she forms friendships with the other girls that enable her to survive in this terrifying new world. Then the day comes when she must make a decision – will she risk everything for a chance to reclaim her life?

The article says that the book creates hatred to the sellers as well as it is successful to generate kindness and sympathy to those who are being sold. So, in my opinion as well, it is an excellent book which tells the story of a sold girl. I am going to find the book in stores and read it, what about you?
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