Secret Daughter

After a particularly poor harvest, Jasu tells Kavita they must move to Bombay where they will have a better chance of making ends meet. Kavita resists the idea, especially because it will mean leaving her parents and extended family—all those who help with child-rearing and provide other social support—but Jasu tells her it is her responsibility as a mother to provide a better life for their son Vijay, who is now 5 years old. Jasu insists that there are many more opportunities for him to work in Bombay, and Vijay will have the chance to attend a proper school in the city. Jasu’s plan is to first work as a messenger of a tiffin carrier, and then find a “less strenuous” job in a shop of office (94).

It is a cool September evening when Kavita and Jasu’s family and friends hold a goodbye party for them. Kavita sad to be leaving her family behind: “Kavita falls to her knees and touches her forehead to her mother's feet. Her mother […] holds her close, embracing her tightly. She says only one word to […] Shakti.” (95). Kavita’s mother predicts that Kavita will encounter hardship in Bombay, but she knows that Kavita has the strength to endure it, especially with “shakti”—a Hindi term for strength, a divine feminine force—on Kavita’s side.