Abhishek Shukla

Family Photoshoot

Word Count: 4,674

“Have it, beta!”, a hand extended from a white Toyota holding a small packet of Parle-G.

Anni stood staring at the packet, hesitant to take it.

“Take it!”, Anni’s mother Swalpa nudged her towards the car. Anni didn’t move. She looked at her father Mohan who was busy keeping the little jars inside the cloth bag in order.

The man confused by the response looked at Swalpa. She pushed Anni aside and grabbed the packet.

“Ignore it, sahib. She’s very small; doesn’t understand anything”, she added, “Give us a few more… We have a long way to go”.

“Where are you headed to?”, the man asked.

“Naoli. Etawah”.

“Started from Delhi?”

“Yes. Today morning at 6. Have been walking since then”.

“Should have waited for a few days. The kid looks so tired. Look at her feet”, the man pointed at Anni.

Anni looked at her feet. With oversized slippers on, her feet looked dirty and damaged. Her left toe got hurt last week while chasing a wild kitten. She wondered what’s wrong with them since they’ve always looked this way. She looked at her mother’s feet. They looked dirtier. Then why did the stranger point at my feet, she thought. She concluded that her mother’s feet look prettier because she’s wearing anklets. She decided to ask Mohan for anklets as this year’s Deepawali gift.

“We had no money, no place to stay. Leaving was the only option”, Swalpa said keeping her bag down.

“He’s your husband?”, the man asked.

“Ji, sahib”, Mohan said.

“You should’ve at least thought better. Left on feet with a woman and kid. There isn’t a single tree for stretches on this highway for you to even rest under. Where do you work?”

“He used to work for a Seth as an assistant at his sweet shop”, Swalpa started before Mohan could answer. She’s well aware of Mohan’s lack of ability to identify an opportunity. “The shop got closed due to lockdown and the Seth refused to pay him any money. He even kept the amount he was supposed to pay for the previous month. He didn’t think even once of my poor kid. We had to collect whatever little was left and leave the city immediately. Help us, sahib. Else, we’ll die starving on our way”.

Anni looked at her mother with amazement. They had food before leaving. They ate food an hour ago again. Her father even received money from the Seth for his work. She heard that the Seth himself warned everyone that there might not be any work for another couple of months and the risk of getting sick would be much higher in the city. Based on the suggestion they decided to go back to their village like many other families. She didn’t understand why her mother made claims of starvation. She looked at Mohan who gestured her to stay quiet.

The man showed them a food packet, “You want one of these?”

Swalpa nodded. Anni’s eyes shone at the glance of it. She loved Packet food. Her mother always prepared the same chapati and curry. Packet food contained Poori, curry, pickle, samosa, kachori, and on fortunate days, some sweet too. She hated it when her father received only one packet and they had to share the sweets. That’s one of the reasons she found Delhi better than her village. Whether it was a religious ceremony, or a political rally, or remembering a dead family member, people served food packets on every possible occasion.

The man handed her two. And then another one while looking at Anni. “Fine?”, he asked. Anni smiled back in response. Her face brightened up and dimples appeared on her cheeks as she smiled. The man smiled back in response. Anni’s innocence and charm possessed him for a few seconds.

“God bless you, sahib. People such as you have kept us poor alive. It’s been 8 hours since we’re walking. I don’t even know if my child can walk any further. How far can we walk carrying her?”, she started to sob. Her thin frame with ill-fitted clothes drenched in dust and sweat made her appear miserable in the heat.

“Don’t cry, bai. You’ll be all right”, the man attempted consoling her. “Try finding a ride home on the way”, he instructed Mohan.

“God sent men like you don’t meet easily, sahib. Truck drivers ask for a thousand rupees per person. Where will we arrange so much money from? We don’t even have enough money to eat. You’ll get her blessings”, she spoke looking at Anni, “if you can give us some money… for the rest of the journey”.

The man gave her an understanding nod. He started the car and parked it a little ahead, close to the edge of the highway. He opened the door and placed one foot out. His belly made a prior appearance as it peeked out from his t-shirt. This made Anni laugh. Swalpa passed her a threatening stare. The man smiled back out of awkwardness while adjusting his t-shirt.

As the man stepped out, a sudden blow of wind hit him and made his long hair wave. He pulled his hair together, settled his hairband in order, and adjusted his mask till he found a comfortable fit. “What’s your name?”, he asked.

“Swalpa…”, she said.

“And you?”

“Mohan”.

He looked at Anni and before he could ask, Swalpa said, “She’s Anita. We call her Anni”.

“Really…! Such a sweet kid. How old is she?”, the man asked.

“Turned 6 a few weeks ago”, Swalpa replied.

“Hmm. See… Swalpa…? Swalpa. I am Prakash. I’m a journalist from Delhi. I’m covering stories of people who had to leave their homes overnight because of the lockdown”.

“TV? Which channel?”, Mohan asked.

“Not TV. Internet channel. You have a sweet kid. I like you three. I want to capture a few clips of your daughter. I’ll also take your interview. Crores of people will watch your story”, he said as he pulled his camera bag out.

“Sahib… Um… We are nobody… who would want to hear us…”, Swalpa said awkwardly and pretended to escape the offer. This wasn’t the first time she was approached by someone with a camera for Anni’s pictures.

When Anni was born, Swalpa was told that her daughter is supposed to bring her riches. That she was awarded to her by fate. As she grew up, her long black hair, unusually white teeth, shining brown eyes, and graceful gait gave her a distinct look. Her shy and soft-spoken nature added to the charm. She truly looked like she doesn’t belong to poverty. But in stark contrast to her features were her clothes and grooming, which perfectly resonated with her harsh surroundings.

This made her the obvious poster child for poverty-porn; the kind that can make newspapers sell and photographers win international accolades with just one picture. Anni’s shyness made her run away from the camera, but still, whenever foreigners or journalists spotted her, they tried clicking a picture of hers.

Swalpa identified this very early and decided to make the most of it. Anni’s continuous growth with age made sure her appearance never got stale. Swalpa made sure that appropriate payment was made for every single click of her daughter. She once managed to receive a sum of three thousand rupees for just one picture. The photographer needed Anni to stand in the middle of a sewage drain to capture the true essence of poverty in urban Indian slums. Swalpa first refused, but then agreed to the large sum. Though the money certainly helped her, the incident earned her the reputation of a child exploiter.

Mohan was never a good husband. He used to smoke all day long and had a reputation for messing up the jobs he took up and beating his wife after disagreements. With his habits, he barely made enough to make ends meet. His only saving grace was his relationship with Anni. People wondered that at an age when kids don’t leave their mother alone for a few minutes, Anni could spend hours only with her father. Even those who cursed him for his ill-habits admitted that the one person who makes him a human is his daughter. After the sewage drain incident, people questioned that too.

Mohan had a big quarrel with Swalpa that night. But from the next day onwards, he changed his ways of functioning. He believed if he’ll earn better, Anni would never have to pose for a camera.

Contrary to his belief, Swalpa continued with finding opportunities to earn quick cash. A journalist famous for shooting kids at dangerous locations found her and offered a huge sum. Mohan had to snatch Anni from Swalpa during an ongoing photoshoot at the railway tracks. He thrashed Swalpa so badly that night that Anni had to call neighbors. Since then, she never took Anni for getting a picture clicked and Mohan never hit her.

The moment Prakash mentioned clicking pictures of Anni, Mohan sensed Swalpa’s intentions. Even though Swalpa was in control for the past one year, he knew that she wanted to make a product out of his shy daughter. He knew her hesitation is a mere trick of cracking a deal.

“Don’t worry. There won’t be any problem. Neither we’ll take much time. We’ll have tea at that shop”, he said pointing to the tea shop visible in the near distance, “we’ll talk for a while, and then you can leave”, he added smilingly. He noticed the family isn’t interested in his idea.

“Okay… I’ll take your interview first”, he added. “And before you leave, I’ll also help you with the rest of your journey”. He saw Swalpa gaining interest, but still being indecisive. He pulled his wallet out and offered her two fifty-rupee notes. Swalpa folded her hands and advanced to take money from him.

“Swalpa!”, Mohan intervened, “Sahib, please give us 2 minutes”, and looked at Swalpa authoritatively. Prakash shrugged at the unexpected interruption.

Mohan pulled her away from the car and took her a few steps away. He quickly returned to Anni and whispered in her ears, “Don’t let uncle click a picture until we come back”, winked at her, and returned to Swalpa. Anni gave him a broad smile in response. She loved her father for always rescuing her from such situations.

“We’re not doing this. We’ll not take any money from him”, Mohan declared.

“This behavior of yours will lead us to starvation one day. You never cared for any of our needs. Even in such tough times, Laxmi herself is coming to you, but you want to push her away”, Swalpa replied.

“She’s your daughter. At least keep that in mind while speaking”.

“You don’t remind me of that. How much money do we have? We have no work back home. With our money, we won’t survive for more than a few weeks”.

“We’ll manage…”

“How?”, Swalpa interrupted.

“I’ll work. Or we’ll take money from someone”.

“Sure. Your forefathers have left so much goodwill that the whole town will give you money. No? In such times, no one’s going to lend us money. And who knows when businesses will reopen. Where will you work until then?”

“So, we’ll indulge ourselves in these cheap acts?”, he retorted.

“There is nothing cheap in this. Big models in cities do this job. And anyhow, no one will get to know”.

“It's not about others. She doesn’t like it. How many times would she have to repeat it for you to understand? Let’s ask him to take just our video”.

Swalpa looked towards Anni. She was playing around the car with a stray dog. “This will take 25-30 minutes, but it will help us keep her this way for a day or two longer. Don’t you want that?”*

Mohan knew there’s truth in what she’s saying. In usual times, he would have not even considered this. But what if he actually couldn’t get any work… The land would not even be in the condition to farm anything. And what if no one lends him any money? Even a penny would matter then. The possibilities of a hazy future made his thoughts cloudy. Food on the plate seemed to be far greater than any ideal or personal dislike to him. He took his time to rethink. But finally, he gave up. Swalpa saw that in his eyes.

“Anni won’t agree. I had promised her she won’t have to ever do this again”, Mohan said.

“I know you can convince her. Or else, I will”. She added, “I’ll make sure we make good money off this”, and moved towards the car.

Mohan walked behind her hoping for Prakash to somehow drop the plan. Anni looked at them coming back. She smiled. Mohan’s guilt didn’t allow him to make eye contact with her. She left the dog and started walking towards them. Swalpa held her hand midway, “Come, beta”.

“Decided?”, Prakash asked, still holding the money. Swalpa folded her hands and nodded. Prakash happily handed over the money, “Good decision! Consider this a family photoshoot…”, he said looking at Mohan and pointed towards the tea stall. Anni looked at Mohan disappointedly. He got closer and lifted her in his arms.

As they walked towards the stall, Prakash explained his intentions to Swalpa. Behind them, Mohan, carrying Anni in his hands asked, “Don’t want to get a picture clicked?”

Anni shook her head in disapproval.

“He is from a news channel. From Dilli. You like Dilli, no?”

Anni nodded. She loved staying in Delhi. Her town is a mere puddle; even a bucket full of water makes a difference to it. Everyone there is concerned about everyone. Delhi being the ocean it is, doesn’t care for the streams and rivers flowing in. It allows people to exist, without asking questions. She preferred the crowded streets, busy markets, and huge malls of Delhi over the chaotic mundaneness of her small town. Her school is also in Delhi. She gets to meet her best friend Sapna there. And most importantly, she gets to spend more time with her father when they’re in Delhi. When in town, he’s either busy working or socializing. If given a choice, she would never visit her town; not even for holidays.

“You want to stay there. Still, we had to leave Dilli!”, Mohan added, “This uncle will make a video of yours. You tell how much you love Dilli in that. People there will see the video and call you back”.

“Really?”, Anni asked sincerely.

“Of course!”, Mohan said faking a smile. “So, we’ll shoot one video?”

Anni shook her head again in disapproval and made a sad face. “I’m tired”, she said.

“Are! Then how will we go back to Delhi?”, Mohan asked. “Chalo… Just one video and then we’ll rest for some time. Hmm?!”, he said and got her down from his arms. He couldn’t lie to her face any longer. He held her hand and reconsidered his decision to participate as they walked towards the shop.

They reached the tea shop and Prakash ordered tea for everyone except himself. The shop was a make-shift arrangement consisting of a small counter and several benches. It was arranged by a nearby farmer to earn quick cash from people traveling by the highway. Though the recent flow of crowd after the lockdown had increased the traffic, his sales hadn’t increased proportionally. Some visited the shop asking for free tea and snacks, while many first savored them and then asked for a favor. Prakash’s arrival filled him with the hope of hitting a jackpot, as a day before, one Sahib with a camera visited his shop and out of his kindness, bought tea and snacks for almost 40 people waiting there.

Prakash waited for them to finish the tea and then ordered some potato fritters. He then marked the tripod and arranged the frame in a way that both the highway and the corner of the shop remained visible in the background. He requested the people sitting behind his bench to shift their spots.

He indicated Swalpa to get started. His brief was simple. He had asked her to pour her heart out and deliver what she actually felt. He planned to shoot a take of Swalpa and Mohan talking about their journey from Delhi, what all difficulties they faced, their fears, expectations from the government, and what they think about their kid’s future. All this while, he wanted Anni to sit in Swalpa’s lap, and all their belongings to also remain visible in the frame.

Once done, he planned to ask them some questions about the virus and told them to answer whatever they honestly knew. Then he wanted to shoot some takes of Anni playing around or eating. And lastly, he wanted to shoot them walking along the highway with all their belongings.

Swalpa wanted to do a great job. She had lived long enough in poverty to be determined to take an opportunity of earning money. Though the payment wasn’t decided yet, she had sensed that they can make a lot. She called Anni and Mohan and asked them to speak as minimum as possible. She also asked Mohan to not talk about receiving any payment from the Seth and neither mention the payment she received from the houses she worked at. They sat at the told positions with Swalpa holding Anni in her lap.

Prakash started rolling and asked the questions. While Mohan mostly remained silent, Swalpa delivered a performance that could make professionals hang their heads in shame. All the interviews she’d seen on TV came in handy as they made her aware of exactly what Prakash wanted to hear. She first wept when he asked about their condition in Delhi, then cursed the government for not making any arrangements, and then declared dooms-day for her family. Anni remained silent all the while.

As they finished rolling, Prakash reviewed the take and realized that he hadn’t connected the microphone properly, resulting in the loss of audio. He told the same to the family and apologized for the mishap. He asked Swalpa if they can give one more take. Swalpa was not happy with the take going waste but agreed to do another one.

The second take was going almost the same, with Swalpa delivering the same performance again. They had almost crossed the three-fourths mark when a series of trucks with blaring sirens made its passage through the highway. Prakash waited for them to pass for the first few minutes but then canceled the shot when the series continued. After waiting for a few more minutes, the series finally passed, and Prakash positioned the camera for another take.

Swalpa was frustrated. She had already given most of her energy. Anni and Mohan were also getting impatient. After a day full of walking, Anni had grown tired of waiting for so long. Prakash also sensed that. He first thought of canceling the part with the entire family or quickly faking a right take. He wanted to complete this quickly and head back to Delhi. But the answers Swalpa was giving made great content. So, he stuck with the plan. They all hoped for the shot to go right this time. Prakash started rolling.

They were midway through the questions when Anni’s impatience reached its pinnacle and she decided to move outside the frame. Swalpa attempted to stop her, but Prakash signaled her to continue with the take. Mohan sensed Swalpa’s frustration and understood that he’ll have to cover Anni to save her from Swalpa’s wrath.

As soon as the take got over, Prakash sighed out of relief, and Swalpa made her way to catch Anni. Mohan made a faster move, reached her first, and lifted her in his arms. Mohan gave Swalpa a threatening stare and gestured her to stay away. Swalpa got reminded of the plan; the next take was of Anni. She controlled her anger and said, “Anni is my lovely kid, no? Only five more minutes, my bachchaa. Then we’ll go home”.

Anni didn’t respond. She looked away from her and buried her head against Mohan’s chest. Swalpa gestured Mohan to get Anni ready. She moved back to Prakash who had the shot ready. As Mohan arrived with Anni, Prakash asked her to play around his car with the stray dog as she was doing before. Anni was tired by now. She didn’t wish to play. She yawned and held Mohan tight. Swalpa took her from Mohan and got her to the car.

“No, mummy”, she said.

Swalpa pulled her close, “Just five more minutes… Be a good girl”, and kissed her on the cheek.

Anni shook her head. She looked exhausted. She dragged her feet and reached the dog who was sleeping comfortably under the car. As she bent down to get him playing, Prakash started his work. Even though she shook him, the dog didn’t wake up. Mohan went ahead and tried to wake him. This time he did, but ran away from them.

“Go and get him back”, Swalpa told Mohan.

“No need. Let’s go. She can simply eat something or maybe… have some tea… and I’ll capture that”, Prakash hurried towards the shop. He wanted to get done before it got dark. All the convincing, explaining, and multiple takes had made him tired. They reached the shop and took the available benches.

Anni had given up by then. She went and lied down on the bench. She wanted to go back to Delhi, but instead was moving away from it. She wanted to simply be, but was forced into a video shoot. She wanted to be rest, but was aware of the tough journey ahead. These conflicts and the idea of future fatigue got her demotivated along with being tired.

“I think we should leave it now. It's fine”, Prakash said, looking at the tired kid. Swalpa, afraid of losing the payment, sat beside Anni and said, “Let’s order some tea. She’ll get up”.

“Swalpa, sahib is right. We should get going now”, Mohan said, agitated at her insistence.

Prakash also tried convincing her, but she refused. She insisted that work shouldn’t be left unfinished at the last moment. Prakash decided to give it a last try. He kept his camera on the adjacent bench and moved towards the tea shop to make the final payment.

“This is enough! Stop it now”, Mohan said, fuming at her.

“Just one more minute and we’ll be done. We’ve already endured so much!”, Swalpa stood her ground.

Mohan looked at her with disgust and went behind Prakash to the shop. Swalpa couldn’t understand why Mohan wasn’t supporting her. After all, she was the one putting in all the effort. She negotiated, she delivered a performance, and now she’s trying to push for the last few minutes. When they’ll get money, no one will remember where it came from. She felt miserable about herself and angry at her husband and child for not cooperating with her on something that would do good to all of them.

She looked at Anni who was peacefully sleeping on the bench. She tried waking her up, but couldn’t. She shook her but Anni turned to the other side. She then lifted her and made her sit. Anni tried to sleep again, but she held her forcefully. Finally, as she got her to sit straight, Anni protested and threw her hands haphazardly. Unknowingly, her hand struck right across Swalpa’s face. Swalpa couldn’t take it any further. All her pent-up frustration came running down to her hands as her face flushed from exertion and anger. She landed a tight slap on her cheek. Mohan saw this from the shop and rushed back holding the teacup, while Prakash waited to get his balance back from the shopkeeper.

Mohan had seen Swalpa pouring her anger on Anni before. He knew the extent of the damage she could do and realized that this might be the worst place to let it happen. He kept the teacup on the adjacent bench and rushed to Anni’s rescues. Swalpa was holding Anni tight with one hand and was going to hit her with the other one. Mohan held both her hands and forced her to leave Anni. As soon as Anni got out of her grip, she jumped on the adjacent bench, kicked the teacup by mistake, and spilled the tea directly on Prakash’s camera.

Prakash rushed back to the benches. Mohan too got panicked at the possibility of damaging the costly camera and left grip on Swalpa to attend it. Prakash arrived and snatched his camera from Mohan. Mohan quickly looked for Anni and moved to get hold of her.

“Enough! We’re not doing any further shoot”, Prakash declared as he wiped the camera with his handkerchief.

“Sahib, she didn’t do that on purpose. Is it working fine?”, Swalpa said.

“I don’t know…! I hope the tea is only at the surface. I’ll take care of it. Thank you for all that you did till now”, Prakash said as he glanced at all the corners.

“Sahib, we can still do it, if needed”, Swalpa pleaded.

Prakash understood the signal. He pulled his wallet out and gave her one 100 rupees note. Swalpa took it and waited expecting more.

“What? Do you know how much this camera costs? 50,000! I’m not even sure if this survived”, Prakash said out of frustration. “Fine!”, he exclaimed and handed another 100 rupees note to her. He switched the camera back on and tried to check if it worked fine.

Swalpa, disappointed at the money she received after all the effort, moved back towards the benches. Anni was weeping alone, as Mohan had gone to fetch cold water for her foot which she burnt when she kicked the tea glass. She rushed to the bench and slapped her at the back. Anni cried aloud in response.

“We would’ve got at least a thousand rupees and maybe a ride for a few kilometers. But this girl cannot stay awake”, and she struck her again. A few nearby spectators gathered around them.

“Papa….!”, Anni cried.

“Just because God has made her pretty, she thinks she can do whatever she wishes”, she held her ear and twisted it a little. Anni trembled with pain. “Born in poverty, but won’t do anything to earn a penny”, and twisted her ear further. “My mother used to send me to…”

And before she could complete it, Mohan pulled her by the hair and landed a blow on her back. This episode reminded him of the incident when Swalpa had agreed to a photo shoot at the railway tracks. Anni was supposed to stand just beside the track as a train passed by. That day, he feared that something would hit Anni and he might end up losing her. Anni’s cries made an image similar to the damage he had imagined that day.

“How dare you hit her? You exploiting bitch! You need a lesson…”, and slapped her on the face.

Meanwhile, Prakash sighed relief as his camera worked fine. He decided to leave the spot before the matter gained further attention. He quickly made a video of Mohan hitting Swalpa and left the place.

After a few more hits, Mohan lost his steam. He went to Anni and managed to stop her from crying. Swalpa went to the shop and washed her face at the tap. She came back and sat near Mohan. After a few minutes of rest, Mohan lifted Anni in his arms, picked a bag with his other hand, and declared, “It’s time we move. We’ve wasted enough time already”, and started walking. Swalpa picked the remaining bags and started walking behind him.

The next day, a clip of a man brutally hitting a woman in broad daylight went viral over the internet.

Notes by Author:

#exploitation #family #lockdown