Chapter 2

A black car parked in front of the alley. I am sure that it is the agency car.

A man walks out of the driver's seat and approaches me. To my surprise, he looks decent and with well etiquette.

"Hello maam, my name is David." he takes my hand in a formal handshake and I smile at his politeness.

"I'm here to take you to the office" he smiles genuinely. But I scoff inwardly at the word 'office'. How on earth could he call a prostitution center an office?

I nod my head in reply and follow him up to the car. For a person like me, who travelled by bus most of the time, this is comfort and luxury.

I hop into the seat and inhale the fragrance of the leather. It feels very refreshing, but toxic at the same time.

I lean my head into the seat, releasing my breath that I didn't know I was holding.

David closes the door of his seat and the car roars to life.

I watch the sprinting tress and the sky high buildings, as the car moved further. I wish I was born somewhere else. Maybe somewhere, in those buildings, living a good life of my own.

The thought depresses me more and I just restrain myself from pulling off a cry baby show in the car.

"Do you need anything, maam?" David's voice come from the front, diverting my attention from my thoughts.

"Umm, no." I lie.

For a minute, I observe David's appearance carefully. He wears a black tailored suit over a white shirt and a tie. I was surely mistaken for thinking that these people would appear like some underground goons, with tattoos and piercings threatening to kidnap me. And I glad that I was wrong.

Though, I feel a bit of self conscious inside the posh look of everything. I'm wearing a simple tank top covered by a rusty brown jacket and my old, bleached out denims. Not to forget , my worn out sneakers, adorned with dust and mud. Hours of walking to save money does that to you.

After an hour of a silent journey, the car parks in front of a tall, sleek building that screams money. I gawk at its height and elegance. David wasn't joking about it. It's really an office!

David opens the door for me, pulling a smile on his face. I guess its a part of his job.

I move out of the car, overly concerned about my style of landing and walking. Well, to be more honest, I walk less like a human and more like a penguin. Balance issues.

Moving a few steps ahead, the full building came into my view. It looks like a tower of cubic mirrors, reflecting on the other side of the road and the sky. The sun rays touch the glass, giving the the whole monument a divine look of elegance.

"These way please." David interrupts my gawking and I follow his trail into the large hall.

I am momentarily in a situation of complete awe. The hall is lined by marble walls, with silver intricacies and huge paintings, standing above the sitting area and the reception. More than that, a huge chandelier hangs from the ceiling, adding up to the elegance of the place.

I feel the sense of euphoria hitting me. I don't know why, but I love to be in such luxurious and elegant places. They just make me go crazy with a newfound excitement. But my excitement is soon buried into the pits of the marble, once I approach the receptionist along with David.

"She's here." David speaks to the woman over the phone and she glances up at me, her cheeks lifting up into a teeth flashing smile.

I smile back. Don't know why, I always have these feeling that if someone smiles and behaves politely, you should return it. Not smiling back seems rude.

I observe the woman talking to someone over the phone and as soon as she is done, her eyes dart back to me, the smile recollecting on her face.

"Please wait on the seating area. Madam will come soon to meet you."

I lip an okay, thank you and walk over to the couch and settle there. Quite a few people are sitting across me, engaged in their world. None of them seemed to poke into anyone's business. That is quite cool, compared to Indian elders, who loved to sneak on other's lives.

And the best part was their appearance that surely made me feel like an outcast. I seriously didn't make the cut in this fancy prostitution center.

I heard a clicking of heels and glanced at the corridor, to find a women in her 40s approaching me with a wide smile.

She looked like one of the business womens, who understood nothing except money. Her white blouse was extremely exposing and she had a black pencil skirt wrapped over her curvy waistline.

"Meera, nice to meet you. I'm Eleanor. " she pulled her hand for a formal handshake, her red lips carved into a perfect smile.

I responded back, not without giving a smile. I hate my habits.

"I'm so glad to see you. Hope your journey was good." she kept the smile intact, her green orbs pouring into me.

"Yeah." Was all I replied. What other option did I have? I'm a sold doll in the market now. And if I wasn't so desperate for the money, I would have ran away from all this shit. The idea of it churned inside my stomach, like a whirlpool.

"Come with me." I followed her trail inside the elevator and saw her well manicured fingers pressing the button '13'. 

I sighed, trying to control my shaking body. The warmth inside the elevator didn't help much and the lifting just added upto my daze. 

The doors slided open on the 13th floor and I walked behind Eleanor, taking in the details of the corridor. It was a bit dark, with ceiling lights illuminaring the pathway. 

I entered inside a room, that looked like an office with all the shelves and the desk. 

"Please sit dear." Eleanor gestured me to sit on the chair across her and I obliged. 

"Would you like something? Tea or coffee?" 

"A glass of water will do." My throat was already dried up with the agony and tension that was lumped in my throat. 

"Sure." 

*

*

*

*

"So, Meera, I hope you know about this whole thing" she rested her folded arms on the table, staring at my reaction. 

"I did some research." 

"Mhmm. Let me enlighten you more vividly about it." she spoke softly, the smile not leaving her features. 

"So, we are an agency that basically brings such young girls like you to meet older people who are very prosperous in their particular fields. In return of having a young girl by their side, they pay you money, give you gifts, pamper you with a luxurious life. "

"Oh. Umm, but what is the girl supposed to do to get the money?" I pushed the lump into my chest. 

"Well, it depends on the desire of the man." she whipped her arms in the air, like it was a casual thing. 

"Do-do I have to be sexually involved into this?" I asked it. The biggest thing that was budging me. 

"Not necessarily. See, people often confuse a sugar baby with a prostitute. But they are two different things. In this case, your consent matters highly. If the man wants your company, then you can negotiate about your limits with him. If you don't want to do something, then you are free to not do it. "

I frowned at her, in confusion. 

" Umm, why would such rich men pay for a young girl, who's not interested in having sex with him? "

Eleanor chuckled at my question and leaned closer. 

" See, some like to have a beautiful young company, because their hectic life is lonely. Some like to use as an arm candy, for showcasing. And some like to try the idea of falling in love. "she smiled zealously at me. 

" Oh, so if I don't want to get involved sexually, I can still get the money? "

" Yes, of course. You can negotiate with your Sugar Daddy about it and see if you both come to the right terms or not. "

The word Daddy seemed a bit of discomforting, but I whipped my thoughts away, concentrating on the doubts I had. 

" What if, we don't come in terms with each other? " 

" Well, then you can cancel the agreement and move on to some other man, who tends to your limitations." 

"I-I can do that?" I gawk at the idea. 

"Yes. The thing is that, you have your own rights and you just have to find someone who respects them and pays you for you being with him." 

I exhaled at her words. The idea sounded much better than I thought. I can live, without losing my dignity. 

"How much do they pay?" I needed to know the cost at which I'm being sold. 

"Depends on the man.  But trust me when I say a sugar baby makes more money in a month than a working clerk or a prostitute making in a year." 

Her statement sounded assuring, but I still had the gut feeling that it's not as much good as it sounds. 

"Umm, so what am I supposed to do?" 

"I'll provide you an online form. You'll fill out the details and once you are done, I'll upload it in the site, with your picture." she turned on the MacBook she had and typed in some thing while talking to me. 

"You've my pic?" I raised an eyebrow with curiosity. 

"Oh yes. Your mother send me one with your background profile . I swear I was impressed by looking at it. I'm sure a ton of men will die to be with you." she winked at me, but I was too engrossed in restraining the anger building inside me, when she mentioned what my mother did. I wished I knew all of this before it was too late. I would've never come here. 

Eleanor handed me the MacBook and I saw the page with a banner depicting the picture of a old man holding a young girl. The banner said 'we provide the best service'. 

How is this whole thing legal? I thought and started sliding over the screen, looking at the form. I was quite taken aback by seeing some of the details being too personal. 

I glanced up at Eleanor, who was busy looking into her phone. 

"Umm, do a I have to fill all of it?" I hesitated. 

The woman looked up from her phone and glanced at me with undivided attention. 

"The asterisks are compulsary. Rest are optional." 

I looked down at the tab and started typing in the details. 

*

*

*

*

"Mhmm,so you love to dance?"Eleanor narrowed her eyes at the screen, scanning the page. She looked back at me with an amused look.

"Yeah." I blushed. Dancing was like my soul. I couldn't live without it. Obviously,my so called mother always restricted it, but I didn't stop trying to pursue a career out of it. Rest is history.

"That's absolutely amazing. A girl with a passion and some moves is definitly more desirable. Needless to say,you quite have the body form." She winked again and I just stared at her like her head had grown a pair of horns. Did it feel wierd or flattering?

"Uh...um.. thanks."

"Great. So I'll upload your profile and start finding a match for you."

"Ok. Ummm...Can I know how it works?"

"Yes,sure. Here,see this" Eleanor placed the screen in front of me. I could see the main page with several profiles on display. It kinda looked like instagram. 

"There's a like option in here. The man who'll like the profile will contact with us through our site and we'll then show the man's profile to you. If you find him in good, then we'll set up a meeting between you two at the desired place of the willing ly. It'll be like a date. You guys can talk and know about each other. If both parties agree,then you'll be put under a contract. Negotiatios will take place and then you're on it. " 

I sighed. Like? Contract? What am I,an object?

I saw Eleanor's hand touching mine in a consoling gesture. 

"Don't worry ,Meera. I'll try my best to get someone suitable for you. And if you don't like it, then you can walk out of the contract."

Yeah,I can walk out of the contract but not this whole shit. Like, you can save yourself from the anaconda but you stay in the jungle. Doesn't matter if a lion eats you up. But you stay at the jungle, trying your luck that doesn't exist. What an amazing deal. 

"So, I guess that's for all now. You go home, take rest and I'll handle everything here. If I find the suitable match I'll give you a call." Eleanor remarked with her signature smile. A smile like that is no where close to real. It's just a part of her job.

" Ok. " I showed my own fake smile and walked out of the office.

David escorted me back to my apartment.

" Have a great day, maam. "he wished me and I reciprocated back with a smile.

A lot of smiling it is for the day. But none's real.

I walked up the stairs towards my floor and saw the landlord standing in front of the door. This is surely bad knows.

" Ah, Miss Adarsh, I was expecting you for a long time. Tried to reach you a few times but your cellphone number announced switched off." he mouthed.

"Oh, I'm sorry, the battery was dead." I claimed.

"Well, I hope you remember that you've surpassed the deadline of the rent. I just came here to give you a week's notice. Give me the rent within this week or you can say your goodbyes to this place." he scoffed and flashed a sardonic smile.

"Ok." I whispered, trying to push in the tears that wanted to descend so badly from the base of my eyes.

Things are just getting worse and only money is God now. 

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