1 neatly tied hair

If Palkan had a rupee for every time her eyes welled with tears when her name was called in Grade 4, she would have a tower of coins as tall as herself. Her classmates would describe her as an unusually silent girl with neatly tied hair, sitting in one corner of the class, who wouldn’t speak unless spoken to. Nine-year old and sixteen-year old Palkan looked almost identical, almost afraid of every loud word around her and delicate in every small way. To everyone else, she was just another girl who had grown used to being invisible. But was there more to her than what met everyone’s eyes?

being the firstborn in a family

There is this one child in every Indian family who’s the apple of everyone’s eye. Palkan, being the firstborn in a family of 24 with uncles and aunts aplenty, was showered with all the love in the world. She, drenched in affection, was sent off to her nani’s house for the summer vacations. “That’s the best way for my mom to get rid of me,” she laughs melting in the nostalgia. Being an extra pampered kid, also spoiled for choices, she was extremely stubborn. “I would only eat Monaco biscuits, orange candies, kaju and dosa at my Nanis. I got stacks of them to stuff myself with. Dare anyone to make me eat anything else.” Her Nani, of course, would make her delicious crispy dosas three times a day.