Bitter Reality of Social Workers

Carefully dodging expectant queries from known faces, Riti finished her data collection and with the stench of wet leather still nauseating her, stepped out of where she had so wanted to belong! And just as she was turning the final bend that separated the world from the rest of the city, Riti felt a tug…turning back with utter disgust, expecting an-out-of-the place nail, she came face to face to Zohra…one of the many girls she had once saved from being trafficked.

“Wah Didi, aye aur jaa rahe ho…hum itne gair ho gaye?” (Great Didi, you came and now you are going…have we become such strangers?)

She looked at Zohra…a gorgeous dark girl of about 19. So full of life, so full of possibilities that even life should take a careful decision, when it came to her. She was about a year younger then, out of school and brimming with life. As with any other young girl, she invited a lot of unnecessary attention from all quarters. Her father, a mason had died of an accident a year back and it was up to her mother to run whatever was left of the family, with her elder sister missing since the last 6 months and a younger brother. And yet Zohra was an optimist…she hoped her sister would return…she hoped she would become a doctor…she hoped life would be as beautiful as she had seen in the movies.

Zohra and Ameena were returning one night from a film show when a young man had approached her and offered a modelling assignment. Taken aback by the suddenness of the entire episode, she had asked for some time. Riti had come to the community centre to find an animated Zohra waiting to share the incident and seek consent. The queerness of the entire incident had shocked Riti and she decided to be with Riti when she met the man again. That very day he appeared in the evening and, while Riti stood in the covers, swearing on her gorgeous beauty, promised to take Zohra to Mumbai to be a model and act in movies. A starry eyed Zohra would have been an easy prey for the man, traced and arrested a coupe of days later as a trafficker, had it not been for Riti’s words of caution. She had listened to the conversation, as she stood hidden and it had taken her seconds to realize the trap that this naïve girl with a heedful of dreams was being unable to fathom. For some strange reason, Zohra had fortunately chosen to trust Riti.

Riti stepped out her memories and said with a smile, “Zohra…Kitni khubsoorat lag rahi ho! Shohar bahut khush rakhta hoga!” (You look so pretty! Your husband must be keeping you very happy!)

A strange smile spread across Zohra’s pretty face as she softly said, “Haan didi, par bas ek nahi…bahut saare…par aapne toh ek ko bhi nahi dekha!!” (Yes, didi,…but not…many…but you didisn’t see even one of them!)

Riti had spent many a sleepless night crying over her failure, blamed herself for months for running away from what was expected of her…but nothing had hit her as harshly as did a few casual words from this young girl. Riti, the Social Worker stood there speechless.