Most men I know come with a sense of entitlement. They think just because you were a sex worker once, you should always be ready and willing to have sex.  Even at the age of 69 at get approached by men, for sex, saying that they have fascination for older women.

Nobody has ever bothered to ask me if I am interested in having sex with them. I mean, there should be a reason to have sex. I know, love in sex work is temporary. 80 per cent of women, who do sex work, do it for money. It’s the same feeling you have towards your maid or a cook. But you should also be attracted to your partner, either physically or personality wise to have sex.

There are men who are loaded with cash, but don’t know how to behave or talk to a woman. They feel it’s the greatest insult to be turned down by a sex worker.

These days my income is a small royalty I get from my books. At night, I am quite active on Club House, the social audio app. I recently celebrated my birthday there. I love reading romance and crime fiction. Madhavikutty (Kamala Das) is my favourite writer. I also give talks on gender issues and work for organisations that are involved in helping sex workers.

(Continues)

NALINI JAMEELA is a former sex worker, best-selling author and most recently a state award winning costume director.  When she published her debut ‘The Autobiography of a Sex-Worker’ in 2005, adultery was a crime in India and female celebrities who spoke publicly about women's right to sex before marriage were greeted with rotten tomatoes, eggs, and month-long protests.

*In conversation with Sangeeth Sebastian, senior journalist and founder, Vvox, a digital health clinic. The series is a part of an AKADialog initiative to capture the lives of newsmakers.