Incessant showers and lack of customers allowed sex workers to get time off from work; they cooked food and organised kitty parties

Bangalore's thriving sex trade, which remains unaffected by market fluctuations and even the recession, was brought to a near-grinding halt because of Sunday's incessant showers.


u00a0Stuck: Sex workers had to stay indoors because of the showers.
u00a0Representation pic

The showers ensured that sex workers could not go outdoors to look for work that night but they made the most of the time by using it to cook good food and party. Some sex workers said it was a welcome break from the monotony of daily work.

Kitty parties were also on the agenda for some with alcohol and chicken curry dominating the menu.

"The rains did not only dampen the last day of Diwali for the general populace but also ensured that we had zero business. Our workers could not go out on the streets to solicit customers," said an official from the Karnataka Sex Workers' Union (KSWU).

However, she added, some prostitutes decided to take the day off even though they had a few regular clients waiting. Instead of attending to customers, they put their feet up andu00a0 sipped alcohol while watching television.

Nowhere to sleep
For many homeless sex workers, who sleep on pavements and in gardens, the rain presented its own share of problems. "We don't want it to rain like this again. At least we have a place to sleep during a normal day. We had to go without any shelter on Sunday," said a sex worker.