Kalyani (15) comes from a family of laborers in Kathmandu. She is the eldest daughter of a mason and a cleaner. A brief time spent with Kalyani, and you can tell that she is not a talker. She obeyed her parents and rarely shared her thoughts or feelings with anyone. So when her parents sat her down and told her they could no longer afford her schooling, her heart sank, but instead smiled and answered, “La.” (Okay.)
Like many quiet people, Kalyani had a lot of her thoughts and desires hidden. She found refuge in her phone for socialization and expression. One day, a 25-year-old man from Hyderabad sent her a friend request on Facebook. She accepted and thought he was attractive. A little later, she received a message from this new acquaintance. A small hello turned into ‘goodnight’s, and ‘talk again tomorrow’s. Kalyani finally found someone she could feel herself around—at least, online. Not too long after, the man started promising her marriage and a better life in India. It may seem abrupt to others, but to Kalyani, it was the best opportunity of her life. She was afraid that if she did not accept now, she might regret it later. One day, while her parents were busy and her younger sister was preoccupied, she slipped away to meet the man.
She boarded an evening bus, with only NPR 1,200 (USD 8.5) in her pocket. The man instructed her to stay at a hotel near the bus terminal, and that all the expenses had already been paid. She did as she was told, and the morning after, she rode the bus to Hyderabad. Unfortunately for the man, and luckily for Kalyani, we conduct routine checks at the bus stop. When we asked Kalyani why a girl like her is travelling so far alone, she was visibly anxious. Our staff immediately noticed something was wrong and brought her to our counseling center for further discussion. She attempted to lie to us by providing a fake name, address and refused to share her family’s contact details.
Since Kalyani did not cooperate, we took her to the police station, where we retrieved her parents’ contact numbers. When we called, they thought that she had been out with a friend in their village, and did not know about her heading to Hyderabad. Kalyani was upset that she did not make it to her online boyfriend’s city, and we do not blame her. She still hadn’t realized how the man very likely did not have her best intentions in his mind. Before sending her back to her family, the police recommended that she stay in a safe home for protection and care.
At the Women’s Safe Haven and Vocational Center, she was thoroughly counseled about the risks of human trafficking and the other forms of violence that she had luckily escaped. It’s when we talked to her in detail that she realized what dire situation she could have been in if she hadn’t been intercepted. Now understanding the situation, Kalyani happily expressed her gratitude to us and the authorities. She was reunited with her family shortly after, and assured us that she would be more cautious in the future.
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