For fellow Samsters, the following article appeared in the Bangalore Edition of The Times Of India.
Deal after dusk and some night-time stories
BANGALORE : By night, along well-lit roads in the business hub of M.G. Road , Brigade Road and surrounding areas, Bangalore ’s seamy side wakes up. As trade shuts shop for the day, nightlife comes alive with some hard business on offer — live band restaurants, discos and call girls.
Peddling them are an unlikely species — autodrivers who double up as ‘guides’ by night.
It was after 11 pm on Sunday. Standing at the intersection of Church Street and M.G. Road , a man suddenly heard some syllables hissed at him: “Night disco, ladies’ bar, models...?” It was a ‘helpful’ autorickshaw driver.
The man nodded. The driver rattled off night wares and rates. The ‘customer’ settled for ‘models’, and negotiations began. The driver wanted him to first take a look at the ‘models’.
Little did he know that the ‘customer’ was a decoy.
The driver took the ‘customer’ in his auto to a live band restaurant on Residency Road. He spoke to a man at the entrance who, in turn, took the customer to a corner inside. The customer was advised to have a look at the girls dancing on the floor, and take his pick.
Final negotiations began. The price included hotel stay for the rest of the night, snacks, drinks, the auto driver’s commission and also that of the person settling the deal. It was pegged at a cool Rs 5,000-10,000. “You can keep the model till the next evening or take her to Goa , Ooty or a resort on a weekend trip. Only the price differs,’’ the guide adds.
For these guides, business booms in the city centre. Trade peaks on weekends; prices are higher than on weekdays, said an autorickshaw driver involved in the trade.
In their parlance, ‘ladies’ bar’ is a live band joint, a ‘night disco’ is a discotheque and ‘models’ are call girls, mostly live band artistes.
Making a deal is easy — the guides target non-locals who appear rich and young, and are dressed fashionably. Speak in the local lingo, and the guides back off. They also quickly arrange for ‘company’ when stags are not allowed inside a discotheque. For a price, of course.
Wondering what happened to the decoy ‘customer’? He walked out of the joint, saying he would return with enough cash the next day. Much to disappointment all around.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/a...how/520262.cms