Page 22 - Digital Cornice Grade 9

NARRATIVE STORY

Acceptance

By: Ujjesha Giri

I have always wondered how people are able to move forward so easily after the most
traumatic and disastrous moment in their lives as if it never happened. Well, I was soon
brought out of my trance as my distant aunt named Shrijana entered the corridor.

"Namaste," I murmured. "Namaste, Namaste!" "Oh, you're as perplexed as ever, I see," she
observed. Letting out an awkward smile, I proceeded back to my room. A conversation
ushered her outside. "Well, don't you think your voice itself is enough to make her cry?"

Aunt Shrijana charged, her voice rife with rage and tinged with a sassy undertone. The
paper-thin walls made it easier to hear the conversations, and for once I felt obligated to
acknowledge their presence."You are one to talk to. Maybe your condescending attitude is
the reason why your husband discarded you. "Not to mention your son’s death," another one
of my aunts argued. An appalled expression crossed her face as I gasped. I rose up to exit
my room as soft whimpers broke out. The front door slammed, making me retreat from my
decision. "I know that very well," Aunt Shrijana screeched as distress carried her voice until
everything became silent.

It was not a secret that Aunt Shrijana was brutally honest, or rather audacious, in her choice
of words. My mom always told me to never retaliate for her shortcomings. I never
questioned it, rationalising it as simple courtesy and respect for elders. That was until I
learned the whole story.

Shrijana Karki was born on May 19, 1988, in the suburban town of Bhojpur, Nepal. Her
birthplace was a settlement of vast lands where forestry and botany were the common
preoccupations of every household. Children’s laughter echoed throughout the place, and
religious sightings made of carved tapestries compelled the village. Small, stunted houses
were patted with cow dung as a ritualistic symbol while a scarlet red paint brushed the walls,
which within years to come would be nothing but scrapes of wall furnishings and thick
blocks of paint that would morph together and eventually decrease the size from constant
repainting. The environment felt quite homely. My aunt was the town's shining star, with
features that even the Goddess Parvati would envy. Her friendly nature captivated the

villagers.
She was a beauty in every way. Her dark-skinned complexion

gave off a tinselly glow, which was fixated throughout her body as
the constant humid atmosphere settled upon the land. A petite
frame with a small nose, slightly pointed at the end, and flushed
cheeks that created a rosy hue with angular cheekbones indicated
the consumption of healthy foods. Her hair was waist-length and
appeared to be brunette, with strands of her front layered hair
draped down her face to create a soft look. Her jaw was sharp, and
her physique was fit due to her consistent work in the fields.