Destination No. 5 : Kamathipura, Mumbai

A Night in the Dark

 

Seeking something to others' -and our- interest, this time me and my wingman headed for one of the most popular places in Mumbai, Asia’s largest red light area “Kamathipura”. The various lanes, like “The Congress house, Navalkar Gali, Faras road” simply show what Kamathipura is best for. This One Night experience was finger licki'n good!
(PUN INTENDED)
Places like these don't need a description. We tried to click some pictures but there wasn't much we could do from a moving/bouncing cab. Though, it does convey the message very clearly.

From the very beginning, we got down at Grant Road Station and took a cab. We asked the cab driver to drop us at Faras Road. He gave us a wicked grin and started driving. The taxi driver was giggling all the time until he left us there. The time was about 10 pm, but didn't look like it because the streets were too busy. And then young and mid-aged women with three times the use of their make-up, glowing, literally glowing in the dark, were standing confident on either side of the roads showing off deep cleavages to attract men or "customers". To know more about the place we started walking down the road with prostitutes on both sides giving us a welcoming nod while making eye contact. Some of them even approached us. But we knew better, to walk by and make them chase us. We also saw a few men bargaining for the right price.
(By the way, it starts from 200 Rupees for one, we asked)
 heard some conversations, too. It all sounded funny in the beginning, but well, it wasn't very funny once we had our own up, close and personal encounter with those not so friendly "ladies". (I'm pretty sure one of them was a dude)

Few minutes later a lady approached us and asked where we were heading, and go directly to the point, saying: 'zyda nahi bolegi...200 ka rate hai...chalo aap andar toh aao..Aur bhi ladkia hai, hum bhi hai, bass haath rakho '. We got excited, not for the obvious reason, but because I firmly believed that we're going to get some interview of sorts. We asked for someone who could share their story and talk to us about their life, on camera. All of a sudden two more women joined her, blocking our path. We were so, so wrong and almost instantly, regretted our decision but went along, anyway. We also asked them if they could chat for a couple of minutes. Though, I knew it wasn't their prime business time and yet they didn't waste any time to invite us in. So, we offered one of them a small amount of money. She accepted (snatched it and put it away somewhere in her double D's )
 the offer and asked us to go inside with her again, saying: 'Aao naa...andar baith ke aaram se baat karte hai...photo bhi nikal lo aur picture bhi bana lo...sirf 200 legi main..' 

We insisted, we would rather have a conversation right there, outside. At this point the first lady almost pushed us in. Their room, which looked real unsafe as it was covered with 3 layers of curtains from all the side. We entered the first curtain without any hint of caution, but soon as we crossed the second and the third, and saw those old beds, 4 on each sides covered in macchar dani, (for a little privacy, I think). We realized it was the wrong decision, very wrong. Two of them tried molesting us, snatching our bags, the camera and tried to put their hands in our pockets but stopped for a moment when the other two, who were blocking our way before, got another man. When he saw us struggling and tried to escape, both of them literally picked him up and banged him right on the old dusty bed.
(Exaggerated, a little. but yeah they pulled him, alright).
It was during this commotion, we made our way out pushing them hard. But when I turned around, there was no "we". It was just me who made it out. Viraj was still inside, maybe having a good time talking to the ladies, maybe not. I waited out for 5 whole minutes, what felt like an eternity, calling him out and asking for help from people outside their room so that we could get the hell out in public where we were safe but none of them stepped out.
A tiny guy even asked for money to help me, chutiya saala.
A few minutes later, Viraj burst out. Half tangled in the curtains, half in someone's wig.
He still won’t tell me what happened. 

We reached the “Pila House” which was once called “The House of Safe Sex”. On asking some the localities about these women, they said that the unfriendly nature of these women is common. They added that the prostitutes persuade one with their make-up and exposed body parts and loot their bakraa once they get them naked. This was a very different experience from what we thought it would be. By looking at so many women who are willing to offer their body for their living. We now, understood why this area has been labeled the largest red light area in Asia.

However, looking at the trading of one’s body for a living kind of business, the dark side of the city needs some light.
Well, clicking pictures directly was a bit risky and could have been against one’s will, so please ignore the shitty one’s.

 21 Destinations

Bhavin Jain         Viraj Lokhande