Bangkok

An unedited, raw story to know the response of the readers.

‘I am looking for a girl named Katty.’

‘We have no girl here with such name.’ said the mamasan casually.

‘But I met her last time here in your shop.’ Hans sounded a bit desperate. ‘I came to her thrice. She is a fantastic masseur.’  

‘Check the album please.’ She said in perfect accent surprising Hans a lot. There was a different mamasen when he came here last time six months back. She could hardly speak English.

Hans knew these albums are just craps. The pictures seldom match with the real girls.

‘Listen,’ he put his right hand in the air to explain the height, ‘She is around 165 cm tall, well-built with big natural b***s and a cute, smiling face…..’

‘We have many girls as per your choice here. Would you like to see them and choose?’ Mamasen interrupted him in the middle. She didn’t seem to waste time in fruitless talks at the prime hours of business.

‘But I want only her.’ Hans insisted. ‘I still believe she is here but you can’t spot her.’

Mamasen looked at him straight and said without contracting a single strip of muscle of her face, ‘Look Mister. I know every girl working here by name, complexion, body size and shape. Again telling you there is no Katty here. You can search other parlors for her if your choice is so specific.’

Hans slowly came out of the shop.

 

After a couple of minutes he hit another near-by massage-parlor.

The mamasan was cordial, warm and exceptionally sexy. She made him sit and offered a glass of cold water before he made his query. Hans was told there is a Katty in the house. But after meeting her it became clear she is not the Katty Hans was looking for.

 

He visited at least fifteen more parlors of Sukumvit thereafter, met around hundred girls and scrutinized a bunch of albums.

His Katty was not found anywhere of them.

 

Hans felt pissed off. He had flown across two continents to meet Katty with a plan to take her to Zurich with him. After a long time he found his fussy mind set on a girl. He was preparing to conclude that on a positive note.

But the destination didn’t look to be easy now.

He somehow dragged himself into a less crowded pub in Nana and ordered a double large whisky. Katty still occupied whole of his restless mind. It would have been a different evening if she was with him.

He visited Bangkok many times before. He knew the massage cum sex centers like the palm of his hand. He didn’t count how many girls he had bedded with here. Those physical unions were simply ‘use and throw’ kind of business for him. He never made a repeat visit to a girl. But Katty whom he met in his last visit to Bangkok six months back brought a queer change in his feelings.

Hans doesn’t believe in love or relationship. His philosophy is short and simple. ‘You only live once so enjoy every moment of your life.’ Katty created a crack in that confidence. Hans dated a couple of attractive women in the last six months after his last Bangkok trip. But he failed to keep Katty off his mind.

He was constantly thinking about those three evenings he had spent with her on his last trip while sipping from his glass. He didn’t notice the tall, lanky girl ogling at him from the next table.

These girls are called ‘freelancers.’ They flock in large numbers in the pub and catch the lonely foreign men to give company and pleasure. If you have booked a hotel you can very well take them there. Otherwise you can hire hotel rooms on hourly basis. Having sex is just a matter of time.

Hans only saw the girl when she came down from her table to sit next to him. She lit a cigarette and offered one to him.

It was a domestic brand with strong taste. Hans liked it instantly.

‘What’s your name baby?’ he asked her throwing a circular puff around her face.

‘Why you look so down honey?’ the girl reciprocated in the same way. Her English accent was near perfect, highly unusual of a Thai woman.

Hans was feeling a bit heavy in his head. He ordered a second drink and a beer for the girl.

‘Can I call you Katty?’ he asked her again.

‘You can call me by any name. But who is this Katty? Someone who ditched you?’

‘No.’                                     

‘Then?’

‘I lost her……..probably forever.’ Hans replied in a depressed voice.

‘Where you met her last?’ asked the girl giving a long sip from her beer glass. The drinks were already served.

‘Here in Bangkok, exactly six months back, in a massage-shop. She was an amazing woman. I went to her thrice that I never had done to any woman before. This time I am back to Bangkok just for the sake for her. But……’ His voice got chocked. He couldn’t utter a word.

The girl placed one of her hands on his shoulder. ‘Have you checked with the parlor where you met her before?’

‘Yes. Not only that. I checked with many of them. But the girl is just vanished. How come it’s possible?’

Hans finished the cigarette by that time and asked for one more from the girl.

‘Keep the whole packet if you like it.’ said the girl.

‘Thank you. You are very kind to me.’ Hans lit the second cigarette.

‘Do you have her mobile number, photograph, address?’

‘Yes. I took several of her pictures in my mobile and also saved her number that time. But my mobile was recently pickpocketed in Rome. I lost all her contacts.’

‘Poor you.’ The girl said in a sympathetic voice. ‘But you know what?’ She continued. Girls working in massage-shops frequently change their places of business. When the parlor market is down they come down to the streets and pubs to hook the clients.’

‘Like you?’ Hans pointed out to her. ‘You were also working in massage centers before?’

‘Never.’ replied the girl. ‘I am in straight forward sex business. If you like to f**k me I am right here for you. If you already have a room fine otherwise I will get one for you with a price.’

Hans gave a detailed look at the girl. She was fair and donned a deep-cut pink mini-skirt to reveal her large globular breasts. She had long muscular legs with surprisingly narrow waist. Her face was interestingly sharp with thin pair of lips that doesn’t resemble much with the local body features.

‘You don’t look to be a Thai. You are speaking English fluently and in clear tone. Which country are you from?’

‘I am from India.’

‘An Indian prostitute in Bangkok! I can’t believe it.’

The girl smiled. ‘I don’t bother if you believe or not. But I told you nothing but the truth.’

‘Amazing!’ said Hans. ‘I know the flesh-trade circle of Bangkok very well. This is first-time I met a prostitute from India.’

‘Excuse me!’ hissed the girl in a different voice. ‘Would you please stop calling us prostitutes? We are sex workers. Sex work is like any other work. Why not call us sex workers?’

‘I am sorry if I hurt your feelings.’ Hans apologized immediately. ‘I am not aware of this term ‘sex worker’. I swear I won’t call you guys prostitutes again.’

‘This is ok.’ The girl put the left-out beer inside her throat and ordered for one more.

‘Can I ask you something?’

‘Yeah, please go ahead.’ Said the girl in her normal tone.

‘How did you land here for sex business from India?’

The girl smiled again, lit a cigarette and said, ‘It’s part of my research, dear.’

‘Research?’ Hans was so surprised that he felt almost speechless. ‘You are a researcher? Oh my God!’

‘I have been doing research on sex-work in five continents with forty different countries as a PhD scholar of Harvard University.’

Hans couldn’t believe his ears.

‘I have been exploring the variations in sex-work in different cultural, religious, social and political contexts. It’s a huge job and I need to travel across the world for that.’

‘But how come you are also in sex-work?’

‘Two reasons. To know the ground-reality by myself that the sex-workers are often rubbed with. Secondly, to make some easy and quick money to bear my travel related expenses. My university is not sponsoring me fully. And I can’t also beg to my retired father for money.’

Hans didn’t know what to say. This girl mesmerized him completely.

‘What happens? You forgot to speak?’ she pinched him.

‘Believe me. I never dreamt of somebody like you can really exist.’

‘Are you thinking me a spook or what?’

‘You are an extra-ordinary person.’ Hans said in complete astonishment.

She smiled and said, ‘Thank you for the complement. I can also help you to find out your Katty.’

‘Oh my God! You are a magician or what!’

‘Nothing like that.’ She opened her purse and took out a tablet. ‘I had interviewed many sex workers in Bangkok in the last two years. Many of them were working in the massage-shops. And I have their detailed information including contact details in my database. They are confidential information and I don’t share them with anyone, not even in my dissertation. But I can always try for you as your case is equally unique.’ She smiled, ‘like mine.’

Hans was watching the girl working on her tablet like a seasoned professional checking her data-base for a lost sex-worker named Katty. He lost his speech. He never thought something of this kind can happen to him.

‘Name the massage-shop where you met Katty six months.’

‘Ugisha.’

‘Place?’

‘Sukumvit.’

‘Remember the Soi?’

Hans visited the shop today only so knew the number of Soi.

’33.’

‘Great. Let me check. Hope your Katty is there in my database.’

After few breathless seconds she said, ‘My record says I interviewed four girls in Ugisha about nine months back and Kathy was one of them.’

‘Do you have her photo?’ Hans asked breathlessly.

‘No. But her mobile number is here in my record.’

‘Oh God! Can I call her?’

‘Let me call her first and confirm.’ She replied.

Hans was perplexed for the second time when he heard the girl speaking in Thai.

‘You know Thai language.’

She nodded her head while talking over her mobile.

After half a minute she handed over the phone to him and said, ‘Looks like she is the one you are looking for. Talk to her.’

Hans hold the phone but couldn’t produce a word.

‘Hey man, what are you doing? Your Katty is on the line. Talk to her.’ She poked him.

Hans somehow put the mobile against his ear. ‘Is it Katty? I am Hans.’

‘Hans, Hans, where are you?’ He heard a familiar voice on the other side.

‘I am in Bangkok. Can we meet Katty? I need to see you urgently, now.’

‘Can you come to Dream Valley massage?’

‘Where is the place?’

‘It is near Nana Plaza.’

‘I am in Nana.’

‘So come fast and pick me up from here. We are closing soon.’

‘I will be right there baby. Just wait for me.’ Hans felt his voice got chocked again.

‘Please come sharp. I am waiting for you.’

 

‘So you got your Katty!’ the girl patted his back.

‘I don’t know how I can say thank you. It is too small thing to what you just did for me.’

‘Don’t be formal. I am happy that my research helped to unite two love-birds.’

Love-birds? It struck his ear strong. Are they love-birds? Is he in love with Katty? Probably the girl is right. He is love, for the first time in his life.

‘One last question before you leave. Because I would like to take a note of it.’ Asked the girl.

‘Please ask whatever you like to know.’

‘You must have visited many massage houses in Bangkok. What’s so special you saw in Katty that you fell for her?’

Hans smiled. He didn’t answer.

‘I am not forcing you. You may skip the question very well.’

‘No. I will give you the reply.’ Said Hans.

‘So what’s your reply?’

‘Katty taught me the emotional part of love-making. She transformed me into a humane lover from a lusty dog. That’s what I can say about her now.’

‘Fantastic. So don’t get delayed. Go and get her.’ Alerted the girl.

‘Can I get your contact details? I would be like to be touch with you.’ Said Hans.

‘For what?’

‘I never met a woman like you before. It would be a pleasure to be your friend.’

‘No. You can’t be my friend. Neither I will give you’re my contact details. You solely concentrate on Katty. Don’t ever try to loosen your grip on her.’ She got up from her seat and about to leave.

‘At least tell your name to me?’

‘Katty.’ She smiled, waved at him and left the pub.

 

 

Author's Note

Be critical as much as possible please

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

A well-written tale. You made every situation come alive. I liked the discussion with the India girl. She was strong and direct. I liked her want to help. Thank you for sharing the excellent story.
Coyote

[Leslie Philibert]

Enjoyed this too. If I have a suggestion, it would be it less dialogue driven towards the end, use more reported speech, as the paragraphing needs to be more tidy. But I know little about prose, I must admit.
Well written, lots to like here

[Pushkar Prabhat]

good story......
lots of interesting prospects from here...........maybe write the 2nd installment.
i liked it!
:)