My Stories

Beautiful Within...

When Suma started growing up she was exceptionally beautiful. For her poor parents this was not a matter of pride. They were well aware of the consequences of beauty in a poor household. So Suma did not get any appreciation from her family, rather got cautioned and suppressed at every step of her way.

Outside world too had a role in her life. At high school she was the point of pursuit for boys while source of envy for girls. Confused with this mixed reaction to her beauty, Suma thought the only mirror in the house living room does not lie. Whenever she spent a little long in front of the mirror her mother would say that beauty is a curse to people like them and let it not go to her head. She was sick of this taunting.

Contrary to her parent’s belief, she found many boys waiting to have a conversation with her. She also noticed fights between best friends over her, which made her proud of herself.

 

Girls envy was of concern as most times they mocked her for lack of good dresses. But she knew if she wore the dress the envious girl is wearing, boys from the whole town will be after her. For now, she felt comfortable to smile to herself than retaliate over this.

Days were passing and focus shifted from beauty to progress in studies and here too Suma had not much difficulty. She dreamt of getting a well-paying job in the city, wear beautiful clothes and make girls envious. To her misfortune, her father who was the only bread winner of the family passed away before she completed her 10^th. Dreams got derailed.

 
Suma being the oldest among three children, had to console her mother and find alternative income. She found a distant relative from nearby city very considerate of her situation and decided to seek help. The lady was more than willing to help and took her to the city with the hope to find a job. Suma’s forgotten dreams boarded the train with her this time. 

When they arrived at Kalyani’s (the distant relative) place, Suma was disillusioned about the city. It was a filthy neighborhood with too many people. Children were noisy and dirty, streets and houses were cramped and fights were common. What good can come out of a place like this she thought?

News of Suma’s arrival spread the settlement soon and curious neighbors and onlookers joined the scene. Her beauty was part of everyone’s talk.

 

Day 2 in the new city started with lining up for toilet which she dreaded. She was about 300 km away from her hometown and return was not an option. She decided to go along. Luckily for her, the people were friendly and helped her learn the local practices quickly. She was in a hurry to get into the job.

Next week, Kalyani managed to get her a job in a moderate garment factory. This world was clean and orderly but lacked any personal touch. Suma missed her home, family and school. She wanted to run away but the promise of Rs. 3000 at the end of the month calmed her down.

She was oriented to her role which she picked up quickly. She also made a few friends with whom she ate her lunch. When one of her new friends cautioned her citing her beauty, she was transported back to her days at home. Amidst all the work, she did not fail to notice the hierarchy and fear creating culture of her workplace.

As days passed, she noticed the Supervisor of her batch, Ramesh being unduly kind to her. Being a beginner she had committed more mistakes than the grumpy older woman in the batch and yet it was overlooked. When this became the topic of gossip, Suma failed to understand what her role in it was. But the experienced women knew the quick sand situation that would follow and her well-wishers cautioned her about it.

Suma enjoyed the attention and care offered to her by the Supervisor. At last there was someone who had time to think about her. That too a person who is the boss of 50 women like her. His position yielded power despite the dislike by many. She liked making other women jealous and focused more on looking beautiful. The same were much approved by her beholder. She was changing and had managed to create a small world within herself. Supervisor Ramesh was the centre of her world. When her new friends tried to caution her, she thought they were jealous of her and continued to paint a colorful dream about her and Ramesh.

Ramesh now had the closeness to ask Suma out for movies and parks. Being new to city and living without much supervision, Suma found this ideal for her. Ramesh was powerful, good looking, earned well and cared for her. She had his protection at the workplace. Being a good worker, though Suma did not need any protection, she knew efficiency was not a measure through which workers were judged. Finally, she thought she had what it takes to succeed.

Suma was given quick promotions and was feared by other workers in her batch due to her close association to Ramesh. She enjoyed her status and proximity to Ramesh. As the months passed by, her family requirements also increased and she had to find some extra money to meet them. One day when Ramesh distributed sweets to the batch announcing the birth of his child, Suma realized he was already married. Between them though they never discussed marriage, she felt betrayed. Suddenly the same space became suffocating. She felt as if every worker around her is reading her emotions and mocking at her. Though she wanted to run far away from that place, she had to complete her day’s duty and act as if she was not affected by the new developments. She fought hard with herself to avoid any overreactions. She tried to be good and normal with Ramesh. But inside of her, she was bleeding.

Beauty had got her the attention and she was bearing the consequences of it. She felt if her mother had a sixth sense and predicted what would befall her. She had to find a new place now. Spending each day was a struggle and she was lost in her thoughts and Ramesh was getting annoyed with her. She was not available for him anymore and as a result he could not overlook her mistakes. The day he raised his voice against her, she knew the worst is in store for her. The power balance was shifting. For those experienced worker’s it was an end of a normal cycle. They had witnessed many such beautiful Suma’s come and go. Suma desperately needed change!

 

She decided to quit her job and visit her family back home.

At home more than love she experienced the financial obligations. There was a certain assumption about she being the provider. There were questions about her next move as a bread earner. Her mother had comfortably rolled herself into a helpless widow’s role and her siblings were busy with education.

When she enquired about her neighborhood girls and classmates, most were married and having children. For once she thought that was the best escape for her from the current drudgery. She could spend the rest of her life doing what is expected of a wife and outsource the earning worried to her husband. But she had no such “fortune”. There was none who was concerned about her marriage. She had no other option but to return to Kalyani aunty’s place and look for a new job.

A woman living in adjacent house provided her a job reference and she was appointed in a small office as receptionist. Her beauty once again was the plus point for her to get this job. They overlooked the fact that she had not completed 10^th. She learnt the basics of her role quickly and was liked by most of her office mates. One lady colleague especially drew her attention due to her confidence, beauty and dressing. Suma wanted to know more about her.

Smitha was her name and she was a graduate working for that firm for last five years. She too did not take much time to notice Suma and her rare beauty and started offering some tips for dressing. Once she asked Suma if she would like to accompany her for shopping to which Suma readily agreed. For Suma the shopping destination was a “fairy world”. She had never stepped into a space like that and while Smitha was going around selecting clothes, Suma kept staring at the price tags. A single dress costed more than her month’s salary and she wondered who could afford such clothes. To her surprise Smitha selected a heap of dresses and invited Suma to follow her to the changing room. Looking at Suma’s expression she said she was just going to try and not buy all of them. Suma helped Smitha to make a choice and finally they were out of the mall with three expensive dresses. Suma’s mind was busy guessing Smitha’s salary and her purchasing power.

Once when having lunch Smitha asked Suma about her thoughts for future. Suma had never thought of this before. She was living every day for its own sake and going with the flow. She paused for a while and said there is nothing more than earning money and spending it home to support her family. Smitha being smart put forward multiple scenario’s that could happen in future if she was not planning her future. She suggested Suma to find ways to earn better and save for her future. She provided a few links and helped Suma pursue her studies through distance education.

Suma still had no answers to Smitha’s well to do status. She could not afford to spend on good clothes. She was getting impatient. She wanted to fall in love with prince charming, get married and have her own family. She was not sure of further education was the way to go. She wanted shortcuts.  

Part IV:

Through colleagues she found out that Smitha had a different family situation. Her family did not need her financial support. She rather got supported by her working parents and well-to-do siblings. Job was a space for her to connect with others. She considered marriage as end of her freedom and wanted to get the best from life before her parents patience ran out on the topic. She was one of the happy go lucky types Suma ever met.

Meantime, Suma was noticing a male colleague showing extra attention to her. He would spend more time in the reception area attending calls and reading newspaper and asking for some routine information from Suma. Suma was cautious this time. Having experienced heart break once, she decided to ignore the reality. Smitha was quick to observe and asked Suma about her feelings. Suma said she cannot trust men as they are mostly behind her beauty and she did not want to waste her energies on them. Smitha was persistent, she said it is an opportunity to test out if the man was really a good husband material and she gave Suma a few tips.

 

Next morning when Sanjay said good morning, Suma smiled broadly and asked how he was. Sanjay seemed happy and spent a few more minutes asking her what time she reached daily as he has never seen her come late. She felt comfortable talking to him and came to know that he travels about 20 km by train to reach office. She was truly happy with her adventure for the day.

Black and white days seemed to have filled with color for Suma now. She took more interest in dressing and was eagerly waiting for Sanjay to arrive and exchange few words. He had no bad habits and was pleasing to talk to. He too was shy like her and never crossed a certain line of decency. Though Suma was in no hurry to fast forward the relationship, Smitha was impatient. She told Suma not to waste time and initiate a few more topics and get close to Sanjay. Suma got convinced.

Next time when she found Sanjay alone in reception area she tried to extract a few personal details about him. She was happy to know that his religion and culture and upbringing were similar to hers. In return when he asked her about her family, she was lost for words. She shared that she is the only bread winner for her family of four and had the responsibility of widow mother and younger siblings back home.

That evening Suma’s thoughts wandered to her native place, her mother and siblings. Other than sending regular money home and enquiring about their well-being she never took any interest in their affairs. She was not sure if there was a bond between them beyond that of money. She was not sure if anyone back home cared about her dreams of marriage and future. In fact the more she thought about it, she felt her marriage would be an adverse event for her family as they would lose their bread winner for a second time. She decided to share her feelings with Smitha the next day.

Next day, to her surprise Sanjay asked her out in the evening and she forgot all about her plans for sharing with Smitha. For once she wanted the clock to race, to match the racing of her heart. She even dreamt of Sanjay proposing to her and saying how beautiful she was. Sanjay called and asked her to meet him at the nearby beach to ward off any suspicion in the office. Before leaving office she took special care to touch up her face and hair.     

 

Part IV

When she arrived at the beach Sanjay was already there and both exchanged uncomfortable glances at each other. Sanjay thanked her for coming and led her to a secluded area of the beach. Suma’s heart was racing with anticipation. If she knew she will be invited out, she could have worn a different salwar that looks great. Finally they reached a spot where Sanjay decided they should sit. She exclaimed that it was a beautiful sunset. Sanjay agreed and said it is indeed as beautiful as her. She blushed.

They were at loss of words for a few minutes and kept gazing at the sunset and finally Sanjay shared how Suma’s smile breathed sunshine in his life every day. He praised her for her looks and composure. Without missing a chance she asked if he was married. Sanjay was shocked and preferred to counter question her as to what is she doing with a married man on the beach? Not to make her uncomfortable he quickly clarified that he was not married and isn’t that the question she should have asked before agreeing to meet him at the beach.

Days passed and Suma and Sanjay now felt comfortable with each other’s company. Suma’s dreams were in fast forward mode. In her dream world she was already married to Sanjay, mothered his two children and was living a happy home maker life in a suburb of the city and their love had grown manifolds.

One evening she gathered courage to ask him about his marriage plans and he said he would love to marry within next two years. Currently he had huge financial obligations on him as he was building a house for his parents in his native place and his sister had to be married. She empathized with him and decided to drop the topic assuming after two years when he was ready he would ask her to marry him and she too was not in great hurry. Her dream world was pretty satisfying for the time being.

 

Smitha was on leave for a few days and upon return she shared the good news that her marriage has been planned with a software engineer of her parent’s choice and she will be moving to US post marriage. Suma was happy for Smitha while feeling sad that Smitha will be resigning soon. Enquiring about Suma’s marriage plans she told Suma to pursue Sanjay for marriage fast as age was catching up with her. Suma did not want to disturb Sanjay as he was busy collecting money to manage his home affairs.   

One day she got a call from home saying her younger brother has completed his PUC with good grade and would need some money to join engineering college. Though Suma was delighted, she had no reserve funds. Whatever she earned, she always shared with her family and she could not think of anyone who could lend her that much money. She was lost in thoughts when Smitha called to tell her she was leaving the next day to US with her hubby. She was in such great mood, Suma did not want to share her sad story with her and kept the phone after wishing her good luck.

When she got the call from her brother enquiring about the status of money, she was in the overcrowded train. Not wanting to put off his exciting tone she promised him that the money will be arranged. When she finished the call, she had tears in her eyes. She had no one who would understand or lend a supporting hand to her in this situation. A lady sitting offered her seat to Suma which she took with more of embarrassment than willingness.

While Suma was walking back home with deep thoughts, a lady approached her and introduced herself as Payal. She seemed to have overheard her conversation in the train and offered to help. Suma instantly thought she was a guardian angel sent by god and within a few seconds her rational mind took over. Why would a stranger want to offer help that too without asking for anything in return. She agreed to meet her at the station next evening to discuss it further.

 

Suma did not feel it necessary to share this incident with Sanjay and looked forward to meeting Payal that evening. Entire day her thoughts focused on what could be the motivation of Payal in helping her and what could she ask in return. When Payal asked if they should sit at a nearby restaurant, Suma could not trust her and rather agreed to sit on a bench nearby. Payal showed her the ready cash as per the requirement of Suma. She was tempted to take it without asking any questions, but paused to check consequences.

Payal had a strange plan. She said God was generous to Suma in terms of her beauty and stingy towards her. She worked as a call girl and had to fend for her own clients. However, her face has always been a challenge for her to get the best rates. She whispered a plan in Suma’s ears. After work, Suma could accompany her to the place where she met her clients. Payal would entertain the client while Suma would be her face. Suma was shocked. Money offer was tempting but she was unable to assess the risk involved. Payal provided clear plan for managing the show without bringing any harm to Suma. Finally Suma agreed.

Suma was a savior for her family. They could enjoy all the goodness and comfort with Suma’s earnings, while Suma had to sacrifice a lot playing the role of bread winner. First week in business, Suma was made to stand at a place and hold the phone to her ears and pretend as if she was talking to the client. Client had the number of Payal who was giving an impression to him that she is Suma who is standing on that particular spot with a particular dress. They agreed for rates and decided on a hotel room to meet at a particular time and when the call got over, Payal would give a signal to Suma to put the mobile in her bag and walk away. Suma did not know any further details of this dealing. Payal would then meet the client at the agreed hotel room with a veil and dark room and the client would go with the satisfaction of sleeping with a beauty queen. 

 

The partnership worked out well as Payal got more clients and charged higher rates using Suma as bait and Suma had some extra money for shopping and buying beautiful clothes. She wanted to look good and get the attention of Sanjay.

 

Once when Suma and Sanjay were enjoying the breeze at the beach, a man followed them. When Sanjay moved aside to take a call, he made some signs at Suma. Though she ignored at first, she could see him getting restless to catch her attention. When Sanjay returned, the man quietly moved from there.

A few days later in the train station too she was stared at by a middle aged man who desperately tried to get her attention. Suma did not pay much attention. She had a good equation with Payal and she was able to save some money towards her marriage expenses and future with Sanjay. She was also happy to give some expensive gifts to Sanjay who could not buy things due to his family situation.

One evening Suma and Sanjay went for a movie and during the interval when Sanjay moved out to relieve himself a man approached Suma and sat next to her. Suma froze when he asked her if she could meet him after the movie at a certain hotel and he was willing to be generous as she was pretty and quite good at her trade. Suma knew her partnership with Payal is now putting her life at risk. If Sanjay gets to know, her future will be over. She told the man politely that she was busy for the day and to leave her alone. He made a few more passing comments at her tricks and the fun they had together and agreed to meet up soon. When Sanjay returned Suma was pale, her mind was not with the events on screen. She was running a parallel screen in her mind and what situation she had put herself into for the sake of money.

She felt she could not live in that locality anymore as there were quite a few incidents of her identification, rather wrong identification. She wanted to share the incident with Payal and opt out of her partnership. She was ashamed of herself for being so innocent and not knowing the work that Payal was into. Now she had to face the consequences. Should she quit her job and move to a new area? If so, how can she justify it to Sanjay. He will still continue to work in that area and she has to ensure she was not seen in that area anymore. Was it possible? Will she not be identified in any other place if these clients travel far and wide? She had more questions than answers and she had no one with whom she could confine to on this difficult issue.

Next day she decided to ask Sanjay to marry her and her plans to quit work and become a home maker. Sanjay was taken aback by this proposal. He had not directly proposed to Suma though they were spending a lot of time together. Right now his mind was on the family projects at his hand. The house construction was at its last leg and his sister’s marriage was also fixed. He was desperate for money to fulfill his family obligations. Moreover a suggestion given by a relative to manage the situation was something he was still contemplating on. The relative had brought a very good proposal for Sanjay knowing his hard working and pleasing nature. The girl’s family was ready to give handsome dowry which could come handy in meeting the requirements of his sister’s marriage. He thought in the city the girls love to spend time with boys without the commitment of marriage and this is what he liked about their relationship all this time. All the assumptions were now turning out to be false. He asked Suma for some time to think about the options and get back.

Suma’s mind was racing. She had no time, given the stalking incidents were too frequent. Luckily so far no one had pursues her beyond her will. But she knew that day will not far as women who are part for that profession have no protection and cannot go by their will power alone. She had to hide. She wanted to meet Payal and discuss this and find a solution and decided never to assist her. She was disturbed and could not eat or sleep. Sanjay observed this change in her and thought she is upset with him for making the quick decision. He too was sailing in the same boat of conflict within and did not want to give much thought to her situation.

When finally Suma called Payal, her number was not reachable. She got more worried and tried several times but in vein. She almost developed a phobia stepping outside home. She was scared to walk on the road, commuting for work as she feared someone will approach her. Her life had become a living hell and she could not reveal her story to anyone.

 

She decided to quit her job and move to a new city altogether. But she had developed this emotional attachment with Sanjay. She thought Sanjay would agree to marry her once his obligations are through. So she decided to quit the job and take a break at her native place for some time. When Sanjay asked her for her hasty decisions, she said her mother was not well and she had to be with her. She gave him her contact and address in the village and said she will look forward to his decision. With heavy heart she departed the office and Kalyani’s home to her native place.

Sanjay assumed this sudden turn of events to be divine grade as he was struggling to come to a decision to the complex situation he was in. Next day he said yes to the proposal sent by his relative and the plans for his house warming followed by his and his sister’s wedding progressed with double speed. He and his family were grateful to God for the divine grace, while Suma missed Sanjay every living moment.

Back home, her family had a better standing in the community. Her mother being a thrifty woman, had managed the family well with the income she managed to send. Brother and sister were hard working and were good at studies which were a big blessing. Suma’s mother too had a conscience and wanted her daughter to get married. She knew that the whole neighborhood looked down upon der despite her financial situation. A daughter’s earning had no respect in the eyes of her community. A daughter is supposed to be married and take care of her husband’s family. Society looked down upon the families that lived on a daughter’s income. Further, when she worked in the city, no one was sure what the source of her income could be especially when that daughter was as beautiful as Suma.

Suma felt suffocated at her native place despite her mother and siblings being nice to her. She knew what people were talking behind her back. Though she raised to the occasion when her father died and became the bread winner for the family, no one seemed to acknowledge that fact. They were more concerned about the source of her income and how this family would finally get her married. She overheard the neighbors saying that, despite so many years of work, poor Suma could not even own a piece of gold for her marriage. There were also rumors about why she suddenly returned without even getting a proposal for marriage.

From a city space where no one gave a damn about her, she became the center of every household’s gossip in her native.

She had reached a dead end and life had to take a turn. She had no energy left to decide the direction of it. But she was glad to be in a place where no one would stalk her. She just hoped and prayed that Sanjay would call and propose her.  

When a month passed and no call came from Sanjay, she became restless and called the office to enquire and what she heard made her faint. Sanjay had applied for a month’s leave for his wedding. She was betrayed yet again! Could she call it betrayal? Sanjay had never proposed to her directly, but he behaved like a lover to her and what is the promotional step being a lover….as per her logic it was clear, lover to husband. But Sanjay had a different equation. Each person was free to make his/her own choices depending on what is in it for them.  She too was not an exception.

 

When Suma started brooding and losing weight, her mother became concerned. She knew all the neighborhood had an eye on her grown up daughter. She had to create new stories daily to shut the gossip mongers. She was tired of this duty. It was an additional diplomatic role for her when Suma was around. She thought it was simple when Suma was away. She had to think of her younger daughter also who was soon coming to marriage age. If Suma were not to return to work, family income will also be at stake. Yet, she could not openly share her concerns with Suma as she too felt for her daughter and what she had sacrificed for the family at a tender age. She waited for a miracle to take place and to find an ideal solution to all their problems.

She started frequenting the temples with Suma, the family prayer time extended and the sound of prayer bells grew louder. None of which stayed out of the curious observation of neighbors. There were rumors that Suma must have contracted AIDS which is very common among young girls who solicit sex in cities. People had disgust about Suma. Suma thought it was a punishment for her misdeeds in cooperating with Payal. Though she was not directly involved, she thought she has been cursed by the families of those men from whom Payal and Suma benefited. But it was too late to correct the mistakes.

 

With Sanjay she had lived her life in dreams. They were vivid and had given her full sensory pleasure. Now she was living the life of a widow in her dreams. She was mourning for her loss. Her children from the dream were nowhere near.

Suma decided to move to a new city and look for a job. She was now confident to be on her own. She met an agent who was sending people to gulf and enquired about her chances. He was candid and said her education cannot be counted as any major asset as she can only be taken there on a maid’s visa. Of course the beauty is a plus point and if you wish you could earn much more he said with a grin. She had to spend about half a lakh towards all the arrangements and there was no guarantee that she will get a best employer. Stakes were high similarly was the temptation. She had the required money at her bank account kept for her wedding with Sanjay. When she went to withdraw the amount she had tears in her eyes. She thought may-be it was this cursed money which cast a shadow on her marriage with Sanjay. Even at this point she was ready to blame self than Sanjay for what had happened.

As she was embracing a new life she put her faith in god and fulfilled all the formalities for going to gulf as a maid. Money changed hands and finally it was time for her to fly. She wanted to go as far as possible from the gossip hungry neighbors, the painful memories of Sanjay and the stalkers on city streets. When the flight took off, she decided to leave behind all the unpleasant past to embrace the new.

When she arrived, the driver from the new family was there to pick her up. Being Indian, he enquired a bit about her and told her the family was good. She also learnt that the earlier maid had left due to personal issues and the family had two beautiful children to be cared for. She liked the family and the small room allotted to her. Finally she found the peace she was looking for.

Her employer was working for the government and was well to do. His wife was too busy with her social circle which left Suma to manage the whole household affairs including child care. She had huge workload and that too in an area she was not trained before. She learnt the use of household appliances with the help of her mistress and quickly became part of the family. Earning was good compared to back in India and there was no dearth for food and comfort. Kids too loved her and knowing English was a greatest asset as she could manage things better.

 

Suma gained a new level of confidence. She was earning well. Happy and satisfied with work. At times she missed having her own family. Her vivid dreams of marriage and family with Sanjay would come back to her mind and she would struggle to put it away from her mind. Playing with kids was the best part and days were flying. She did not manage to make friends beyond this family and their friends. She was content.

 

Once when the family sent her for shopping with the driver, he suggested the possibilities of making new friends and utilizing the weekly off for earning some extra. Suma did not understand it and decided to ignore. She had no need for an extra income now. Her brother had joined a good job and was supporting her mother and she had no other needs. Next time when she went out, driver introduced her to a few Indian maids who were enjoying their weekly off at the local market. She was happy to meet them and exchange contact. They all were highly appreciative of her looks and one even made a comment saying if my Arab boss were to see her, she would get her salary in gold coins. She found that comment very rude and insulting and decided to stay away from that group.

 

When the family decided to go to India for holidays they bought ticket for Suma too and asked her to spend a few days with her family. Suma was reluctant to visit home given the past issues, but could not say so to the employers. During the journey, she looked at a travel magazine in the flight and turned the pages randomly out of boredom. She stopped at the page with disturbing picture with a caption which said ‘Beautiful Within’. She read on and found the stories of some of the acid victims in India and how their beauty had become a target for the men who could take a ‘no’ for an answer. She read each case study with tears in her eyes. It stroked a chord in her and she decided to visit the NGO which supported the victims.

 

When she finally visited the NGO and offered to help their cause they were overwhelmed. For a group that was tired of knocking doors and getting it shut as fast as it opened, it was a miracle when someone walked in and offered to help. She did not want the curse of Rs. 50,000 which she saved from Payal’s deal which ruined her marriage to stay with her. She had heard that if such money is donated for a noble cause, the curse will go away. Moved by Suma’s generosity, the NGO decided to host a dinner and a get together of victims in her name.

 

She heard the stories of each girl and their courage with attention. They had been through a lot and yet not given up. She could relate to them through her own struggles. She recalled the days when she used her beauty to command respect. It was like flood gates had opened and made her question her own beliefs. Was she responsible for all that happened to her in life? Has she not been brave and a true hero in supporting her family despite a thousand barriers? Has she not put her life on line to protect her family? Does she need the approval of those who never were part of her struggle to call her a hero? Was her own views were not good enough to judge her worth? Should she still think of that coward Sanjay and shed tears? Suddenly she felt elevated. She was at a different level of thinking. She was ready to face rest of her life with a conscious mind. Every penny she contributed to the cause was worth it.

 

After the wonderful exchange with the beautiful girls she was ready to join her employers with a new spirit. She had finally understood the difference between looking beautiful and feeling beautiful.   

 

By: Lavina Cardoza