An Accountant And A Prostitute!

‘Oh, Varalotti, not again!’ I can almost hear the shell-shocked ILites shouting at me. I can see the beautiful, slender hands of our gracious moderators already perched on the mouse, ready to issue infractions to this regular violator.

Somebody as concerned and as affectionate as Kamla would say later, ‘When your brand sells, what’s the need for this marketing gimmick?’

But believe me, Kamla, and believe me, most gracious ILites,this is no gimmick. The title fully justifies the narration.

The fact that I am writing about this in a forum in which 7000 plus highly dignified ladies from the world over are members, a forum in which some morality-conscious and talented men writers are members, and to cap it all, a forum in which my own wife of 23 years is a member, would only go to prove that there is nothing even slightly obscene about my post.

People have never ceased to amaze me. I do love natural sceneries, the sunset at Kanyakumari, the moon-rising providing the backdrop to Tajmahal, the narrow Madurai-Natham road with greenery on all sides, the train ride in the Shencotta-Punalur Ghat section, the sprawling flower market in Amsterdam, the greenery in rural Southwestern England…. there is no end to the list.

But it is the people who more often than not make me spell-bound. People of all types, shapes, sizes and colours. The affectionate father who was feeding his children in an autorickshaw on their way to school was as fascinating as the police constable in London who demanded that I should say “please” if I want to ask him any question. But this person – yes a prostitute – was the most fascinating of them all.

This happened some ten years ago. It was a particularly stressful period in my office. So when a group of my friends offered a free holiday for me for three days in a calm resort in the ouirts of Bangalore, I jumped at the opportunity.


We were a group of four – two chartered accountants, a lawyer and a surgeon. As the Bangalore Express picked up speed on a Thursday Evening, the lawyer gave me the shock of my life.

“I am sorry. But we are a group of five.”

“But, who is the fifth person? I want to meet him.”

“Her.”

The lawyer let out a sheepish grin and looked at the Doctor. Then we accountants found out that they two had conspired to bring a call girl along and that she was in another coach in the same train.


They had withheld the information from us till the last minute as they were afraid that we might not have joined them for the trip, had they told about the fifth person upfront. That was true.

I was in a dilemma. I thought I should break off from the group. As soon as the train reached Bangalore I would tell them that they are not my cup of tea. So you go ahead, I am going back to my place in the next available transport.

The other accountant friend who like me was unaware of the latest addition was wild with anger.

“Sridhar, this is an act of betrayal. How can we stay in the same place with a fallen woman? We will break away from the group.”


His anger had a strange affect on me. The human in me woke up.

“Agreed, she is a fallen woman. But what about these people? They are as morally perverse as the woman they have brought along. At least in her case there might be some economic or social reasons for prostitution. But these wealthy professionals can have no such excuses.


"If we treat these two people as our friends and respect them, we should at least give the same respect to the lady. She might have failed in her life; but as a human being nobody is a failure.

"This is a test for our values. Let us treat the lady with dignity that any human being is entitled to have. But let’s not even go near her. I will manage the accommodation in such a way, that we two are in a separate wing far from theirs.”

I would not have been so rash today. I was in my late thirties and had so much of self-confidence which even bordered on arrogance. Nor would I advise any other man in my place to try that kind of a risky venture.


I can only say that my decision was an example of my foolhardiness which was at its peak at that time. I was saved only by the Grace of God as could be seen from the later developments.

At the Bangalore station a van was there to take us to the resort. The lawyer introduced the lady to all of us. I was seeing a call girl in flesh and blood for the first time. She was in her thirties, quite short and plump with an attractive face and mild manners. I and my accountant friend just folded our hands in her direction and did not utter a word to her.

In the resort as I had planned, I and the other accountant were in a separate wing. We agreed to meet only when it was absolutely necessary. The next day the Resort organised a trip to a nearby picnic spot. We eagerly signed on for the day long trip. The lawyer friend approached me with a plea.

“Sridhar, poor girl! She has been confined to the room for the whole day. She wants to breathe some fresh air. If you two allow, we will take her along with us for the trip. Don’t worry, I will say she is my wife, so that you need not be embarrassed.”

I relented.

As the van loaded with people started its hour long journey, I saw the lady who was seated just opposite to me by the side of the lawyer. She was smiling and was absorbed in the scenic beauty on both sides of the road.

I did not know how it started. But suddenly the lady started quoting a verse of Kannadasan. It was a poem which I liked most and I quoted anoter verse. Soon we were in deep discussion on Kannadasan’s poems. She had a wonderful memory and her way of rendering the great poet’s lyrics was quite appealing. As we got down she told me that she had never talked like that in the past several years.

In the picnic spot the discussion continued. As we were absorbed in the discussion I did not notice the lawyer stealthily taking out his camera to click me and the lady. But she noticed. And with a fury I could never imagine from a woman, she almost pounced on the lawyer.

“Don’t ever try to do that. This man has not touched me at all. So what’s your idea of taking a picture like this? You want to blackmail him? I will never let you do that. I’ll smash the camera.”

The lawyer was subdued. I was in no mood to continue the discussion after that.


We did not meet after that. But my heart was full to see a ‘fallen woman’ rising up to the occasion to defend an innocent man.

We took leave of her in the Bangalore City Station the next day. When I folded my hand in her direction, were there tears in my eyes? I am not very sure.

I was even more moved to see the change in my accountant friend, who had earlier condemned her as a fallen woman.

I had told about the camera incident to him.

When it was his turn to take leave of the lady, he said in a choked voice, “Good bye sister. May you always be blessed.”

hi sridhar,
i really respect ur idea of looking everybody as equals inspite of what they do.ur comparison between the woman and ur lawyer and doctor friends was just amazing!!!!this goes to show on how these people have other talents as well.but they become the victim of bad circumstances and fall into bad hands!!!!
regards
pavithra

Hello Varalotti sir,

This just shows how anybody with a sense of justice and whose heart is in the right place will behave. The lady in question may have had some sort of compulsion to take up her profession. In spite of being a lawyer your friend did not think twice about taking your snap with the lady. You must also have been quite naive to think that you can get away with it by just having a far removed accommodation. You do know that a man or woman is judged by the company he or she is in. Anyway for the fact that you escaped unscathed, all the credit goes to the lady.

Regards,

Abha.

....."a forum in which my own wife of 23 years is a member...."
For a minute I got this wrong and I wanted to convey it to you!So I stopped here for an immediate FB! I have to continue reading and will give my FB for the whole story tomorrow! You have a way of cornering people half way through too!

Dear Varalotti,

Recently, I had watched a movie on Veronica Franco - a courtesan in the 16th century. Earlier in India - Mahanadi, one of Kamal Hassan's movie. I don't see anythihng wrong with girls and women (forced into prostitution) but because of what they become one (reasons and causes).

Prostitutes are not one on their own but become one as they are forced into becomming one. What can one do caught in the net of devastation with no law to protect them? Thanks to Indian Justice and Policemen.

As you as, I believe that the prostitutes are much more digified than the people who force them into becomming one and people who indulge in such pleasures.

Writing an article with your own experience on such topics, really require a lot of courage and Thumbs up to your wife who understands and supports your openness to write them.

Your writing on this subjects helps me recall Gandhi's experience on this subject in his Autobiography " The Story of My Experiments with Truth".

Dear varalotti,

After reading your account of an Accountant and a prostitute, as per your earlier request here is my poem. I hope you will enjoy it.

கணக்காளர் கணக்கிடாத கனிகை
வண்டுக்களால் மொய்க்கப் பட்டு
வாடிய பூவிற்கும் மணம் உண்டு
என்று காண்பித்த கணக்காளர்

Regards,

TDU

Nice one Sridhar :)
"Let those without sin throw stones first"...had to think of this line from Bible upon reading your little anecdote. It was a neat story which was very sweet and touching. Like Abha said, one is judged by the company one keeps. I hope soon after your return, you shunned that lawyer and doctor friends of yours for good?!
Often times, a woman becomes the victim of her gender and gets into this age old profession. But the men who visit them are equally sullied and more so, as a matter of Fact.
I cannot help being astonished at all the incidents that you seem to experience first hand...[or is it that fantacy of your's?]...:) Even though you say that your story is not as shocking as the title (!!), I am still shocked to read that adult and responsible men resort to such base acts as to take a prostitute with them on an innocent little vacation with friends! More strange is that four adult men need to go to a vacation to a hill station. Hmmm....that in itself does not sound healthy to me. But is it not natural to take one's spouse if one is going to some place to unwind and relax????..Am I jaded with all the not so innocent present day life or what!!?
Ok ok...I am grossly deviating from the subject But it is payback time! This time round, my turn to be gimmicky!!!

L, Kamla

Hi Pavithra,
thanks for being the first to respond. I too had the bigotry earlier. After reading Cho's Yarukkum Vetkam Illai, it all vanished. Cho has a powerful dialogue in that drama/film.
In one scene a male character would quip,
"Males need not have any morals; even if they are immoral, it's okay. But women should always be moral and chaste."
We always think of a hundred counter arguments for this foolish statement. But what Cho had used for retort was quite wonderful. Another male character replies with a smile,
"If you let men behave as they like then they wont let the woman to be moral or chaste."
Thanks for liking the anecdote, Pavitra.
regards,

Hello Abha,
My agreeing to stay in the group after knowing about the call girl was, as I told you, a foolhardy decision. I should have broken off and returned to my place. Because that lady was good and because my God poured His love on me to save me from trouble, I came out unscathed. Had something happened, both my personal and professional lives would have been shattered. You said it right Abha, a far removed accommodation is not precaution enough. Permanently away from such a company is the only fail-proof safeguard.

But I think God wanted me to know about good residing in the most unusual places. God wanted me to be deeply affected by what's going on. In fact when I returned from that trip I got my very first Acceptance Letter from Anandha Vikatan. The letter which was a forerunner for many to come in the next 8 years. Who knows, may be that incident, sowed the seeds of writing in me.

Thanks Abha for your very balanced comments.
regards,