A Bitter Sweet Profession (short-story)

 

The following content features some livid scenes and violent content. Not suitable for people below 18 years and the weak-hearted.

Disclaimer: Names, places and references used in this story are completely fictional. There never was an intention to hurt or degrade anyone any sect, faith, place, or event.

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 Maria scratched the side of her head, looking at the clock in front of her desk impatiently. It was already past six, but the manager of the showroom that she worked in hadn't given his consent yet for calling it a day. It was getting late for her...She had to practically fly now if she wanted to reach that place in time. But the manager who was also her boss, currently was busy in a meeting. As they were told not to disturb him, she couldn't go inside the hall where the meeting was held and ask his permission. Also, they were threatened that their salaries would be cut, if they took leave without attaining permission for the same. Therefore, Maria waited, biting her nails to divert her attention. Seeing her tense, one of her colleagues named Vicky asked her what's wrong. “You look very pale. Are you okay?” 

Maria immediately blurted out whatever came to her mind. “I am not feeling that well. Guess I have to visit a doctor. I am just waiting for our 'guy' to come out and let me move.” Vicky agreed and got back to whatever that he was doing initially. 

 Having nothing else to do, Maria just walked around the showroom, scanning the different products that were put for sale. Maria worked as sales-girl in a showroom that sold VCD”s and DVD's of several songs and movies, including the latest ones. Every day she worked here from 11 in the morning to 6 in the evening, before giving way to the night staff who then continued her work from 6 to 11 p.m. Every time here, Maria always kept a smiling face and always appeared warm and polite to the different classes of customers, who visited the showroom. 

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They were of different ages and races, with different tastes of music in their minds. But Maria had to please each customer by agreeing when he or she claimed that their preferences in music, was the best. At the same time, she should say the same comment to another customer whose tastes and preferences might be different. Pausing her thoughts as she walked past a mirror, Maria checked her appearance and undid any wrinkles that were there on her dress. Then she looked at herself again. Maria was very gorgeous, with carrying the right amount of weight in the right places. 

 Adding to her provocativeness was the fact that she had to wear an extremely tight uniform, given to her by the company. 

Some male visitors and sometimes even her seniors in the company took advantage of this, by fondling her backside or by placing their hands in the wrong places. 

But Maria didn't mind it that much. She had joined this job so that she could earn enough money to cure her ailing mother, as well as provide for her younger sister's education. For that bigger goal, such minor 'hiccups were not a concern. 

Finally, her boss came out of the hall, accompanied by the visitors with whom he had a meeting. He seemed very happy and displayed a silly wide smile. Their showroom had just entered a deal with a big musical company. After he send them off through the showroom's door, Maria hurried up to him. 'It was now or never', she thought. “Sir, I have an important place to go to and I am getting late. Shall I go now?” She asked with an innocent appeal on her face. 

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Her boss grinned and replied winking, “Sure darling! But be sure to come earlier tomorrow. I have something very important to discuss with you.” As she nodded her head and passed him, her boss softly spanked her butt. She cringed and got out of the showroom in haste. She knew what exactly he had in mind for that important meeting. But she smirked too. 'If only he knew the truth about me and what all I can do.' She thought as she dashed across the street. 

 

She then caught an auto-rickshaw and instructed the driver to get to a place, as soon as he could. On hearing the address, the driver turned and looked at Maria bemusedly. “Are you sure this is the are you want to go to?” Maria replied, “Yes anna! And if you reach there fast, I will pay you double your charge!” No more words were needed as the driver rocketed through night's chaotic traffic and got Maria to the place that she wished to go to. As Maria got down and paid the driver the amount she had promised, he asked her, “Whom have you come to see here? This is not a good place for decent girls like you.” 

 Maria looked at him in the eye and replied, “I work here.” The driver gaped at her as she walked into a building in that place. He was shocked as this was a 'red light area' and he knew immediately what Maria worked as. Maria was a prostitute! 

 That's right! Maria was a salesgirl in the morning and worked here as a prostitute in the evening. The income that she earned as a sales-girl was very meagre and was not even enough for her mother's cure and her sister's education; leave alone Maria's own personal expenses. As she often was physically abused at the showroom, Maria decided that her physical looks were her asset. Then she thought 'why not use her body in a profession?' At least in the profession that she was in now, they paid for touching your body, unlike the people in the show-room. And here in this job, she earned in a single day twice of what she earned as sales-girl for an entire month. Her current profession was a bitter-sweet one. 

 So, she rushed into the building where the lady she worked under conducted her business. The lady; Girija akka was a former prostitute herself who now was in her late forties and very obese. She ran a place where customers could come to fulfil their sexual desires regularly. Girija earned heavily in a single day itself, as most of her customers were powerful and wealthy people, and they included several politicians. One such politician was waiting in the bedroom today and had specifically asked for Maria on seeing all the girl's photos. He had furious as Maria was late today. This in turn made Girija angry and it showed on her face, when she Maria come in. She scolded Maria in a whisper, telling her to immediately change her clothes and get into the room with the client. She handed a skimpy night dress to Maria and moved back to the front of that house's gate, to welcome any prospective customer. 

 Maria transformed into a machine, as she monotonously changed her dress and got into the bedroom, locking the door behind her. The politician who was lying on the bed half-naked', started grinning immediately when he saw Maria. “Come here, you whore! You are very late today. So, the master must punish you, right?” 

 After that he got up from the bed and walked slowly towards Maria. Clutching her hair by one hand, he used the other to completely to tear off her dress. Then he pushed her on the bed, her face down. “Master is going to punish his slave. HA HA HA!” Giving out an evil laugh he picked up his belt and spanked Maria's naked butt. He spanked her, humiliated her and tortured. Then he got down on her violently and entered her with force, continuing this for nearly 10 minutes. Once he was satisfied, he got up and threw 5, thousand-rupee notes on the bed. “Those are my tips for you. I will pay Girija separately.” 

 

As he put on his dress again and left the room, Maria reassembled herself and picked up the money that he had left for her, before going downstairs to meet Girija akka. She collected her day's 'coolie' from Girija and caught a rickshaw to go back to her home. She stared at the money in her hand and thought of how much she had to get abused in order to earn this much. She had to sell her body, mind and soul too, to earn enough for her needs. Truly, hers was a bitter-sweet profession indeed! 

 

@ Author Yasir Sulaiman

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