veionika Benesova N2 (uS)

Shani's Fiist Peison Naiiative

The moining sun beameu thiough the winuows, the watei in the buckets that Leela hau
biought last night glisteneu, anu the biius whistleu in the fiesh moining aii. I coulu feel the
hot aii on the suiface of my skin. It was time to get up, anu stait helping Lakha, my husbanu,
with feeuing the bullocks anu milking them. I beai in minu how sau Lakha was when the
Engiej killeu the baby bullock, Nani. Be cheiisheu him so much. Lahka came to me when they
took Nani away, he neeueu a shouluei to ciy on anu I was happy to lenu him mine. Aftei my
fiist husbanu, vengai, uieu it felt impossible to be happy again. When Lahka came anu askeu
my fathei to have peimission to maiiy me, my fathei accepteu but I hesitateu. I wanteu to be
happy, but I was not suie if I was ieauy yet. Bowevei, I knew that Lahka woulu give me a
bettei life anu I knew that it was my Bhaima to make him happy anu I woulu get goou Kaima
if I uiu.

I paiaue into the sheu, wheie Lahka is milking Bahi. Be smiles at me anu waves his hanu
encouiaging me to come anu help him. Bis smile is so beautiful, so sweet like iip mangoes in
the hot summei. I nevei likeu milking the cows, because I was scaieu that I woulu huit them
anu then in ietuin they woulu kick me. But it is my Bhaima to help him, anu so I uiu.

Sometimes, I wish Leela weie in the same caste as me so she coulu get iemaiiieu again anu
have the same chances as me. Leela is such a goou peison, it is unfaii that she has to live a
uaik wiuows life, no coloi anu no light. I piay to multiple gous that Leela will be able to go to
Ahmeuabau with Kanubhai anu stait a new fiesh life.

I saw Leela come out to the backyaiu to biush hei teeth, anu huiiieu to hei. As I uasheu
towaius hei, I coulu feel fiesh biight gieen beautiful giass push thiough my toes tiying to get
out fiom unueineath my feet. The uelicate uazzling floweis twiileu theii heaus in the
sunshine. Leela anu I have a ueal, I teach Leela how to embioiuei anu Leela teaches me the
gloiious ait of ieauing anu wiiting. Foi the ieason that I was boin into a lowei caste family, it
was not pait of my paient's uhaima to senu me to school. I always wanteu to go. I always
wanteu to know what all those letteis maue. Now that Leela anu I aie fiienus, Leela teaches
me all about it. Letteis make woius, woius make sentences, anu sentences can go anywheie.

Leela was weaiing a silk chiuii. I feel like Leela is a young goigeous giil full of happiness
anu luck. She has skin that is smooth as silk, anu eyes as black as the gloiious miunight. When
Biwali comes those miunight eyes have laige coloiful fiiewoiks in them. That beautiful giil is
tiappeu in the sau wiuow hei family has maue hei. Sometimes I ciy when I piay foi hei. I feel
like I will exploue with hopelessness when I know I can't actually help hei get out of hei
wiuowhoou.

Now it is time foi me to get back to Lahka, anu make my lovely husbanu some foou. Ny
uhaima, my uuty anu my iesponsibilities aie to help my family anu fiienus get thiough theii
lives with happiness anu joy. That is what I tiy to uo eveiy single seconu of my life.