“Rahaul”, not his real name, was born in a Mumbai brothel to a fifth generation temple prostitute and grew up to become a gangster. A reformed man, Rahaul was my fixer for years, as I went to undercover the horrors of sexual exploitation in the red light district. I learned quickly that Mumbai’s then sprawling red light district was a place of pain not of pleasure.

Since my early 20’s I have been traveling to India, a country of extraordinary beauty, as a photojournalist, where I also documented poverty and injustice. I spent 11 years on and off going in often embedded with “Rahaul” as my fixer gathering pieces of the story, and reporting undercover in order to tell the story of the brutal reality of sex slavery and trafficking in India.

“Rahaul” opened the secrets of the red light to me. He was my fixer, my translator, my guide, my bodyguard and teacher of the realities of how a red light district operates. More than that, he has become a dear friend and brother.

Please be aware today’s Beyond The Story conversation includes content that some listeners may find upsetting - with references to modern slavery, trafficking, and sexual violence.

Rahaul's story is in two parts. This is part one.

Taken eBook- Hazel Thompson is donating 100% of profits to charity Jubilee Campaign to rescue women and children out of Mumbai's red-light district: https://books.apple.com/gb/book/taken/id715654976

Taken Campaign in partnership with charity Jubilee Campaign: https://www.jubileecampaign.co.uk/stories/taken