Chapter 1: The Last Coin
In the dusty village of Baranagar, 17-year-old Bittu lived with his widowed mother and younger sister. Their hut had a leaking roof, and their meals often consisted of watery rice. Bittu was bright and kind, often dreaming of becoming a teacher one day.
But poverty is cruel. When his mother fell ill, Bittu tried everything—odd jobs, begging, even selling his schoolbooks. But the medicine she needed cost more than he could earn.
Desperation knocked when a neighbor whispered about an "opportunity" in Kolkata. "The city pays well, if you’re willing to change."
"Change how?" Bittu asked.
"Your body. Your name."
Chapter 2: The Contract
In a dim flat in Kolkata, Bittu was introduced to a woman named Meher, a former dancer turned madam who now ran a private entertainment company.
"You have soft features. With the right clothes, you could pass," she said. "We need girls. You’ll earn. You’ll eat. Your mother will live."
Bittu didn’t say yes. But he didn’t say no either.
That night, he cried himself to sleep in a pink-walled room, surrounded by wigs, makeup, and sarees.
Chapter 3: Becoming Bina
The transformation began slowly. Hormone pills. Voice training. Mannerism lessons. Meher paid for it all. In return, Bittu became **Bina**.
At first, Bina performed at private parties—singing old Hindi songs, dancing lightly. Men stared. Some paid extra to talk. Others wanted more.
Bina kept her boundaries. She had one goal: send money home.
Her mother never asked how. Her sister never knew.
Chapter 4: Mirrors and Masks
With time, Bina became more than a role. She started feeling comfort in her clothes, her reflection, her voice.
But every joy came with guilt. Was she betraying Bittu? Or becoming someone she had always hidden?
One day, in a rented apartment, she stood before a mirror.
"Am I a lie? Or am I free?"
There was no answer. Only her own eyes looking back, tearful but calm.
Chapter 5: The Letter
When Bina's mother passed away peacefully, Bina returned to Baranagar in a simple salwar. The villagers stared but said nothing.
Her sister hugged her. "Didi, Ma told me before she died. She said you saved us. She said you became our hope."
That night, Bina read her mother’s final letter:
"You did what I never could. You became brave. Don’t ever be ashamed of who you are."
Her Own Name
Years later, Bina teaches music to children in Kolkata. She wears a cotton saree and silver bangles. She smiles easily.
No one asks who she was.
Everyone knows who she is.
