The Girl In Red Lipstick

“Always call a prostitute a lady; you have no idea what she has been through.”

I read this statement on the page before the first chapter of the book- The Girl In The Red Lipstick by Ajay K Pandey. I realized this wasn’t going to be some random story.

The book begins with one of the protagonists- Arun Kumar, arriving at Kolkata for his book launch, where his fellow readers enquire that why hasn’t he written about a prostitute till now? This question makes him go numb twice, and he keeps on wondering the sign behind it. In one of his events, he falls down from stairs and has to request a massage at his hotel. Then he meets Lalita, who wasn’t a masseuse but a prostitute. Arun is too naive to apprehend this, but when he does, he craves her story. Did he really want to know her story, or was he ruminating about his next book?

Lalita is too young, and despite everything, she hasn’t lost her dignity as she never accepts sympathy. She has reasons to believe in a better future but will this ever come true? She is hesitant of dictating her story but when she does, it takes a toll on the readers. 

Arun plots her redemption, but is he too naive to rationalise the consequences? Does she want to leave this business? Will she trust a man again? What if her pimp files a false FIR? Even if he succeeds in moving her out of Kolkata, will she not return to this job? Data says that most of the sex workers, after leaving the rehabilitation centre, return to the same work profile. Also, many rehabilitation centres’ are the centre of such activities. Such questions fascinate the readers' curiosity.

This book starts a bit slow with Arun, but once Lalita enters the scene, the pace shifts. The story is intriguing, and the concept is plausible. The author has used the first person narration for this story. His writing style is easy to comprehend, and the setting is precise. The author discusses the details of her journey precisely. Suspense building is slow but introduced at the right time. Even the twist in the climax is intriguing. Overall, the story keeps you engrossed with the curiosity to know more.