One Night Stand

Shankar cringed as she came near him. Placing her hand him, she moved a little closer started to dance. Looking at Ashok, he gave a weak smile as he could feel his scotch filled glass is shaking in his hand.

Noticing this,
Ashok: it happens to everyone when you come to a dance bar for the first time.
Shankar: I guess I need more scotch (the weak smile still on his face)…
What’s her name? (Pointing to girl who just danced near him)

Ashok: Hmm… Interested eh?
Shankar: Nope…. Curiosity sake…. You know her?
Ashok: Yea… they call her kavita

******************

(At some local railway station)

Woman: (at her daughter and son) Move fast inside the train… It has more people… so Zyaada paise milenge

Obeying their mother, the girl and the boy got into train and the woman sat amongst the crowd. While the girl moved a little inside the compartment and placed a big circle shaped ring in front of her. As the little one placed the ring the lady started to play on dhol. A welcome somersault performed by the girl’s brother gained the attention of the crowd and then the girl started to dance using the ring for few minutes. After the act, the sister brother duo approached the audience to find whether their act paid off.

All this while, a gentleman from the crowd was watching this act performed by the family.
As the girl approached this gentleman…
Gentleman: (giving a 10 rupee note) What is your name?
Girl: Pinky (happy that her act was a hit)

The gentleman approached the lady …

Gentleman: Don’t your kids study?
Woman: you know sahib, we don’t have enough money to send them to school
Gentleman: Ok! I will make arrangements to send them to school and you needn’t pay money for it….. if you are ok with it…
Woman: Ok sahib I guess that would be good for them
Gentleman: Ok I will pick the kids tomorrow from the same station in the evening.

***********************

(Next day at the bar)

Shankar: (at the waiter)
I would like to meet the girl in pink dress (Pointing at kavita)

Waiter: Give me a moment sir….

Waiter went to kavita and told her something showing Shankar. She gave him a smile seeing Shankar.

(After some time)

Kavita: So where to go?

Shankar: this is the first time for me… so can we go outside have dinner and come back.

Kavita: Ok… Ok…sure but that would cost you more… fine?

Shankar: yea no problem……

*********************

(Next day at the station)

Gentleman: ok... I have got a car outside... let’s go…
Woman: Ok sahib…
(Hailing a taxi)
Gentleman: Driver The ashram at M.G. Road…
Driver: Ok sir…. (Adjusting the meter)

They drove to the address given by that gentleman

****************

At some restaurant,
Shankar: My name is Shankar….. and I work with…..

Kavita: (intruding in the middle)
I am not interested in where you work as long you have enough cash to pay me for the work I do...

Shankar: ok… No need of being apathetic… was just being friendly…
Kavita: (sardonically) yea right… I am not interested…

Shankar: I can see that… but can’t understand why? You have a problem being friendly..
Kavita: Yea I do… Do you care? For whom should I care? You?

Shankar : (Slowly his temper flaring up) forget being friendly… you are not even polite
Kavita: (calmly) No need to get excited Mr. White Collar… you want your work to get done… so you pay me… just a trade here nothing else... so I don’t see a necessity for being polite or friendly…

Shankar: (offended) what… Blue collared eh… you have something against us, the people who earn their money working hard in a fair way…?

Kavita : Before we start arguing about this would care to place an order for your one night stand here…. I am starving dear (winking at Shankar)

(Shankar places order)

************
(Somewhere in the city)

Pinky was shivering with fear. The gentleman who had promised her mother that he would take them to school has been bought to some big house so far away from the place she knew. She saw many girls of her age there. The gentleman was standing at far end of the room talking to some other people.

After the discussion, the gentleman came near her and said “listen to what they say”. Nodding at what he said pinky innocently asked “where is my mother and when will she come?” He replied “she has been taken care of” and went away.

While she was trying to figure out what he meant, a big man called her name and she went away.

****************

(Sipping the drink she had ordered)
Kavita: You were talking something about fair and unfair?
Shankar: (Sneer look on his face) you tell me we earn money in fair means not… (paused)

Kavita: yea... finish what you were supposed to say… temm one thing Mr. White Collar Don’t we work hard? Since you had brushed this topic… We don’t have the masks that you so called Upper class people have…

Shankar: Huh!!! We…? Every rupee you earn is by flashing that stupid plastic smile of yours to every guy you see… Don’t you?

Kavita: Spot on!!! No denial… But, my dear we work so that we can fend ourselves…

Shankar: Even we work to fend ourselves and our families… but not like you
Kavita: Ok… But we don’t get into these trades voluntarily Mr. White collar and what are you doing to make we people improve our lives

Shankar: Huh!! Aren’t the NGO’s doing their bit by pressurizing the government by legalizing your so called profession and helping you improve your lives.

Kavita: oh yea… Legalizing our profession… It’s a boon but, that isn’t going solve the problems we face…

Shankar: Oh.. what problems do you face… it is we face problems because of you people

Kavita: Please help the poor kids whom the so called gentlemen of your high profile society exploit and push those little ones into flesh trade… and

Shankar: That is where NGO’s are playing the part

Kavita: (On a higher tone) Please save them from those so called NGO’s who in the name of helping the destitute collect the funds and use it for their personal purposes…
Many girls are pushed into this trade promising them of getting them education and not what…
So Mr. White collar… Please don’t give that shit that you people do something good to society…

Shankar: yea… there are people who exploit... but that doesn’t mean no one does good.

Kavita: there is no free lunch in this world… sir… you know that pretty well… and some good happens to conceal the bad that is happening and that’s gonna happen..

Shankar: But, We…

Stopping him….
Kavita: you and me sitting here arguing about this is of no use… as even while we are talking some kid is being exploited over there…
(Winking at shankar) But, you can do yourself a great deal of good if you give me the money you promised to….

(Saying this she grabbed his hand and disappeared into the crowd)