Pinky and Shiva Ji, Great Royal Circus, Junagadh, India, 1992
(catalog number 401T-807-017)

I MET Pinky at the Great Royal Circus when she was about 6 years old. She lived with her trainer, Pratap Singh, and his wife. Pratap Singh had the most interesting and gifted group of child acrobats in the circus. Pinky was his most talented one. No one could approach her in either beauty or skill. She was totally devoted to being a great performer and loved being a little star.

She came from a very poor family in a small village. Her father was dead, and her mother had hired out Pinky and her sister, Radha, to Pratap when Pinky was about 3.

Four years after I first visited the Royal Circus, my husband, Martin Bell, returned with me to India to make a film for National Geographic about Pratap's troupe and Pinky. Martin decided to go back to her village to film her mother. He did not tell Pinky that he was going to her village to meet her mother.

The following year, we brought a video of the film to the circus. Everyone in the troupe was very excited and waiting for the film. Right before we played the tape, Pratap whispered to us that Pinky and Radha's mother had died in the last year. I was so worried that it would be upsetting for them to see their mother. I didn't know how they would react, but there was no turning back. The whole troupe was sitting in the tent, anxious to see the video on the television, so we proceeded to show the film.

When the section with their mother was shown, Pinky and Radha sat there silently. Huge tears rolled down their cheeks. They were transfixed; they said nothing. There was total silence. They never said anything about it. Even at their young age, they displayed a rare dignity.

It was definitely one of the most painful moments of my life as a photographer. I felt foolish.

We spoke to Pratap recently. He has left the circus and is living in Madras. He works as an animal trainer for television shows. Pinky, now a teenager, lives with Pratap and his family. She works in a beauty salon and rides around the city on her bicycle wearing a baseball cap.

Two years ago, there was yet another tragedy in Pinky's life. While leaving the circus, Pratap's truck was hit by a car. Everyone was slightly injured. Radha got up, walked around, and seemed fine. Then she collapsed. They couldn't reach the hospital in time. Now Pinky is totally alone except for Pratap and his family.