[Survivor Series] I have had to pawn my jewellery to support my family

My name is Ajila Khatun and I live in Diamond Harbour in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district. In 2015, when I was 15 years old, I was kidnapped from a local railway station while I was on my way to school. A woman came and sat beside me and struck up a conversation. She was very friendly and during our conversation, she offered me a drink. I fainted as soon as I consumed it. 

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When I regained consciousness, I realised she was taking me to Pune. She took me to a brothel and sold me. I was in the brothel for two years, before one of my clients finally relented to my pleas and helped me write letters to the local Crime branch, where I narrated my ordeal in detail and begged them to rescue me.

The police swung into action and rescued me and helped me get back home. I was one of the lucky few who was able to rebuild a life once I came home. I got married and was waiting to welcome my first child. Everything was going well until Cyclone Amphan struck. And then COVID-19 happened.

With the lockdown, my husband, who works as a tailor, lost a lot of his income, and we were struggling to make ends meet. I was forced to take a loan of Rs 15,000 at 3 percent monthly interest from a private money lender. 

I had to hand over the little jewellery I had as collateral against the loan. The past few months have not been easy and we are both struggling to get work. I am really worried because we are not even able to pay the interest amount on the loan and if we continue like this, I will lose my jewellery and the three of us will really be in living in total penury with not even the basic food to survive.