Eyes forward, Kiku hurtles down the street. A swish of glittering purple from the corner of her eye tells her that Madam is not far behind. Jhukki's grunts were getting louder. Kiku needed to quicken her pace. She shifts her focus back to her goal. The end of the street is a few meters away and beyond that lie her father's fields. She squints. Was that the silhouette of the Kanchenjunga she saw in the distance? A butterfly dances up ahead of her, its antennae pointing towards Kiku's finish line. Last few steps. She closes her eyes and stretches her hand forward. But, before she can step over the threshold, she is yanked back. Kiku lurches forward but Madam's fingernail is hooked into the collar of her shirt/blouse. The butterfly escapes. Kiku's hand drops to her side. OASS is inspired by a true story of Kiku who is taken away from her village at the age of 11 and sold to a brothel in Delhi. Drugged, beaten, raped and threatened, she surrenders to the atrocities in order to live, and one day escape. OASS brings to light the menace of girl-child trafficking and the perils faced by the million Kikus across the globe.
—Himali Kothari