Its 10 am and her patients are waiting for Dr. Sandhya Gavane to arrive at her clinic. For her, it turned out to be just another Saturday. Her patients though, Shamim found out his sugar was in control, Saloni got medicine for her first set of period cramps, and Fatima heard her baby’s heartbeat for the first time. Sandhya handed out a banana and free medicines to the lady she sees outside her clinic everyday. The lady had lost her family to the gun violence in Turbhe years ago. She talks to no one.
Sandhya practices at the slums of Tubhe, Navi Mumbai, since 22 years now. And everyday she gets off at the Turbhe railway station, and walks towards her clinic, acknowledging the street. Everyone here recognises her, her work and her clinic. For she fearlessly steps into the depths of these streets, into their shagged homes, and their brothels
Turbhe’s brothels are characteristically mundane. Sandhya questions, chats with the sex workers and sometimes even poses a shoulder to cry on. She visits them late afternoon- early evenings, gets them food and hands them free medicine. Shares a cup of tea with them and hears their stories , of violence, of unwanted pregnancies, sexual violence, of AIDS and STDs, before their afternoon naps.
The brothels are their homes and when Dr, Sandhya visits, she sees women, working women, mothers, of all ages, with varied illnesses, calling out to the kindness and justice in her heart, to spend some time with them, to treat their colds, and see their kids laugh, and to hear their grievances, if any.
