Seema’s* story is reminiscent of the stories of many girls who have been trafficked from West Bengal. She was desperately searching for a job when a man approached her and asked her what she was looking for. On hearing her answer, he promised her to give a good job if she came with him. Having lost hope of finding a job, she decided to trust him and didn't ask any questions. He took her for lunch and the next thing she remembers is being on a train headed for Pune, a city located at the other end of the country. At Pune, the man proceeded to pass her on to "friends" who took her to a brothel in the city's red-light district and left her there.
Seema says that she didn't even know that the place she was left at was a brothel and it was only after another victim of sex-trafficking told her where she was did she start to understand what had actually happened to her.
She was in the brothel for about a year and a half where she was abused and tortured. One day, she had a customer who told her that he was actually from a shelter home in Pune and intended on rescuing her. Later that day, he returned with police to raid the brothel and rescued her. She eventually returned to West Bengal and joined the Ruhamah workshop there and is doing very well.
*name changed to protect identity
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