She has authored a bestseller, made a film, run a hotel, and 53-year-old Nalini Jameela is now happily looking forward to 10 more years in her profession - sex work.

She defies every stereotype of the harassed sex worker.

"Of course I am fully satisfied. Apart from providing pleasure to my clients, I have also provided solace to several young husbands by teaching them how to make sex with their wives a happy affair," Jameela told in an interview.

Based in Kozhikode, Kerala, she feels liberated by her job.

Jameela has lately been in the news for her book in Malayalam "Oru Laingikathozhilaliyude Atma Kathha" ("The life of a sex worker"). The 2,000 copies brought out by a leading publisher June 18 have been almost sold out.

"See, this profession has made me a popular figure. Apart from practicing this profession, I have been a filmmaker, run a hotel, and now become a writer. Above all, I provide solace to women who come into this profession. I am certainly satisfied."

She holds her head high. Even her book, she says, is meant to give confidence to her peers.

"I am happy that I have been able to bring out the book and believe me I did it because it was meant to bring extra-confidence to my colleagues, several of them are still not confident of themselves and their profession.

"This book is meant just for my colleagues," said Jameela, who has studied only up to Class 3.

For three months in the mid-70s, she had to beg for a living. When she found out it was not enough, especially with a little daughter to feed, she began the unwilling tryst with the world's oldest profession in 1978.

But her perspective was to change. "Looking back, I am proud to say that I am a sex worker. My only grief is that I lost my son when he was 17 years old in an accident 18 years ago," said Jameela.

Jameela has two daughters aged 29 and 23 and both are well settled.

"My second daughter now recognises what I am doing and she was happy to be there at the book release function. My eldest daughter still does not have the courage to openly come and see me and I fully respect her feelings," said Jameela.

Her career graph as a sex worker changed for the better in 2001 when she became the coordinator of the Kerala Sex Workers Forum. In the same year she was one of the two sex workers from India to be invited to a workshop in Thailand on how to handle video cameras.

"After returning from Thailand, I made two short films using the camera and it gave me instant respectability from among my colleagues.

"Then I ran a hotel in Thrissur, which was run by women who were former sex workers. Due to some problems we had to close it down and one of my aims is to reopen the hotel and I am confident I will be able to do that," said Jameela.

Ever since her book was released, Jameela, who even now does sex work when she has the time, says she has been getting a large number of calls from several of her old clients.

"The biggest solace of late is that I am getting calls from young husbands asking for a session. Once we meet, they tell me their woes and I comfort them and I get immense satisfaction when they call me back and say the session with me worked.

"I feel that for a better society, sex education and counselling among youth is a must. Many who come to me say they fail to replicate what is seen in pornography films in their bedrooms," said Jameela.

She feels she is physically and mentally fit to continue in her profession for another 10 years. Monetarily too, she says, her career as a sex worker has been rewarding.

"Of course, I can say with pride that I have earned much more in this profession than I could have with any other job. I don't have any savings but I am confident that I will have no problem.

"I have helped so many people, so someone else would help me..."