I, Sharmi, Diamond - Ep 7
7. Sharmi After my coming-of-age ceremony, my mother sat me down. “Listen, baby,” she began, “from now on, you need to be careful around boys, understand? If they ask you to go anywhere alone, you mustn’t. Do you understand?” But understanding was beyond me. It had been ages since she’d sat with me like this, really talked to me. “If anyone touches you or speaks to you in a way that makes you uncomfortable, tell me. If anything like that happens when you’re alone, just walk away,” she instructed. The thought of Driver Sundaram flickered through my mind, but I kept it to myself. I felt every eye on me back at school, especially the boys’. My physics teacher, after asking how I was, remarked to the math teacher, “She’s suddenly blossomed.” The comment only deepened my embarrassment. From then on, I found myself drawn to the mirror. My face had a definite glow, just as they’d said. My cheeks held a rosy flush as if rouged. My hips had indeed widened, and the sight of my reflection, standi...