Dhaliwal, Saraswati

Dhaliwal, Saraswati; Application
Topic Started: Sep 2 2008, 02:47 AM (62 Views)
Saraswati Dhaliwal	Sep 2 2008, 02:47 AM Post #1
Posts: 3 Group: Members Member #16 Joined: Sep 2, 2008	Saraswati “Sara” Dhaliwal Student [ A note about her name: After her initial experiences in England, Saraswati has found that many a British person has mangled her name, to her exasperation; thus, she finds that people in England find it easier to simply shorten her name to “Sara”, though she does appreciate it if people can pronounce her full first name properly. ] Age: 14 Height: 5’4 Weight: 113 lb. Build and Carriage: Slender and lithe Hair Color and Style: Pure black, usually worn up in a bun or in a plait. Or simply worn down and loose. Eye Color: Light hazel. Race/Ethnicity: Indian. Complexion: Medium brown in colour. Smooth. Indepth Description: In India, Saraswati is considered a fine young woman with a round-oval face, long shining hair, and a lithe, graceful figure of a practiced dancer. Despite all this, her most striking feature is her large, piercing hazel eyes – a relatively common trait amongst her family members. Otherwise, she is considered normal with her brown skin and liking for bright, colourful saris. And indeed, she has a large collection of saris in all sorts of colours and patterns, made from very fine materials (usually silk) and containing detailed embroidery. She is also fond of jewellery, having a piercing in each earlobe and in her right nostril. She can also usually be found wearing intricate necklaces and anklets of gold or silver. However, in England, Saraswati sticks out like a sore thumb. Not only is her skin much darker than everyone else’s (in a time when pale skin was considered beautiful, too!), she loves bright colours and lots of dangling, shiny (not to mention, jingling) jewellery, contrary to the more subdued fashion of England – relatively speaking, that is. Nevertheless, she tries to blend in as much as she can. Not only are the skirts and hats more fashionable in England, they’re also warmer and sturdier for keeping out the cold and wet that her light silk saris just wouldn’t be able to stand up to for long. She does hate the constricting corsets, though, as she is used to the more loose and flowing clothes of India, so she only wears them for special occasions, such as parties. During day-to-day wear, however, she wears her skirts without a corset. As for the jewellery issue, she tries to tone down what the English would consider excessive extravagance by taking out her earrings and wearing a simple necklace and perhaps an anklet (which tends to be covered by her skirts, anyway). She does, however, refuse to remove the stud in her nose. Country of Origin: India. Date of Birth: September 15, 1890 Parents: » Father: Rakesh Dhaliwal, 37, lawyer and politician » Mother: Mohini Dhaliwal, 33, housewife Siblings: » Suraj Dhaliwal, 18, brother, currently studying law in London, England. »» Manjula Dhaliwal, 15, sister-in-law. » Lakshmi Dhaliwal, 13, sister. » Indira Dhaliwal, 10. sister. » Sitara Dhaliwal, 6, sister. » Aditya Dhaliwal, 4, brother. » Padmini Dhaliwal, 1, sister. Other Relatives: » Kishore Mangeshkar, 20, fiancé, businessman. » Nitika Nehru, 19, cousin. »» Manish Nehru, 26, Nitika’s husband, philosopher and scholar. »» Gita Nehru, 1, Nitika and Manish’s daughter. » Lilavati “Lila” Patel, 13, cousin. » Lots of aunts, uncles, and other cousins. » Madhur, 44, family servant. Close Friends: None in England or even in Europe. All her friends are back in India. Character History: Saraswati was born in Bombay of British-ruled India on September 15, 1890, into a large and relatively prosperous Brahmin family. Rakesh and Mohini were second cousins. The marriage was arranged by their parents when Rakesh was ten and Mohini was five and they were wed about nine years later. Shortly after, their first child was born – to the delight of the entire family, a strong and healthy baby boy who they named Suraj. Just months after Suraj’s birth, however, Rakesh was offered the opportunity to continue his studies in law in London, England, which he promptly accepted, spending the next three years there before returning to India to rejoin his family and set up his own law practice in Bombay. Shortly after, Saraswati was born amidst much celebration for not only did they have a healthy son, they now had a healthy daughter. Then, about a year later, Mohini gave birth to another daughter named Lakshmi. The birth, however, was somewhat difficult, leaving Mohini quite weak, and with two other young children to look after, it was too much. This led to the hiring of a servant, Madhur, a widowed and childless woman from a nearby village, who took up the tasks of cleaning, cooking, and caring for Suraj and Saraswati as needed while Mohini cared for the infant Lakshmi. It was also during this time that Rakesh’s already heavy influence increased, even in political circles, causing him to be a prominent figure in the community and governing body. His knowledge of English and English culture also helped establish himself amongst the British governors living in India. He became particularly known for his belief that India didn’t need to fully disassociate itself from the British Empire and therefore a rebellion against the British was foolish and unneeded. As the years went on, the family steadily grew in size. Although the family was granted mostly daughters (somewhat to the dismay of Mohini and Rakesh), they were nevertheless happy and showered all their children with love and affection. Saraswati grew up very happily and was well provided for. She spent her time learning how to read and write (in Punjabi and English), cook all kinds of traditional Indian dishes, as well as how to sew and embroider. When she wasn’t learning these skills, she played outside with her sisters, cousins, and local friends. In the meantime, she was betrothed to the son of a close family friend, Kishore Mangeshkar. Although Saraswati was initially apprehensive about the decision, once she met her fiancé, she seemed satisfied enough that she would come to love him with time. He was a kind and intelligent boy, a little lacking in looks, but he had a certain charm to him that she enjoyed. However, when Saraswati was eleven, her sixteen-year-old cousin and close friend, Nitika, was married to her own fiancé. At first, the marriage was deemed a success but about a year after the ceremony, a child had yet to be born, thus displeasing Nitika’s husband, Manish. Nitika confided to Saraswati that Manish was treating her harshly, criticizing and insulting her, and that she was very unhappy and feared he would divorce her. Finally, a few months later, Nitika became pregnant but once she gave birth, it turned out to be a girl. This was a disappointment to Manish, who had hoped for a boy. After Nitika regained her strength, Manish continued to treat her with disrespect. The experience of her older cousin prompted Saraswati to once more become apprehensive about her arranged marriage. Meanwhile, Saraswati’s other favourite cousin, Lilavati (who was nicknamed Lila by her family and friends), was outraged. Lilavati, with her wild personality and temper, greatly opposed the marriage her parents attempted to arrange for her and vehemently rejected all suitors. She even attempted to get Saraswati to reject her own fiancé, encouraging her to marry for love, not because of duty or convenience. This placed even more doubt in Saraswati’s mind. After gathering up her courage, Saraswati spoke to her father about her feelings of fear and doubt; so, to ease her anxiety, Rakesh allowed the marriage to be delayed for just a little longer so as to give Saraswati time to think. However, the cultural and familial pressures placed on his daughter worried him, knowing that other members of the family and community would admonish Saraswati for doing such a thing. Remembering his time in England, he decided that it might be helpful for his eldest daughter to live elsewhere for a time – not only would it separate her from those who would look down on her, it would also give her an experience that few in India were able to have. She would learn Western customs and perfect her English and gain a worldly perspective. Besides, her older brother Suraj was already in England so she would not be alone. Thus, Rakesh sent an application to Pennington on behalf of his daughter. After her acceptance, Saraswati bought some clothes worn by British women, packed her things, and traveled to England. Personality: Saraswati is on the quiet and demure side because of both her inherent nature and her culture. She has the utmost respect for her culture and its traditions and is quite proud of who she is as an Indian and a Hindu woman. Although she has heard of some early feminist ideas, Saraswati thinks they are too radical and extreme (though she does believe that women and men are to both be respected). While she would like to marry for love, she also trusts the judgements of her parents and recognizes that her dharma (or religious duty) calls her to respect the wishes and wisdom of her parents to do what they believe to be right for her according to hundreds of years of tradition. However, she does harbour some fears about her approaching arranged marriage. Even though she is still quite young, Saraswati is very mature and intelligent. Having had to take on numerous responsibilities in her position as one of the eldest children in her family, she has learned to keep a level head and make sensible decisions based on logical judgements and innate intuition. She isn’t afraid to step up and do what needs to be done, and thus makes a good leader. However, as a result, she has little patience for those who are immature, impractical, and irrational for their age (she has plenty of tolerance for children but she hates it when adults act childish). She is also fairly stubborn and can have a temper if she is ruffled enough, particularly on bad days. Despite her quieter nature, she does have a playful side, although it’s quite subtle. She does enjoy socializing, games, music, and dancing, which she is particularly strong at, and when she was a child, she had a mischievous spirit. She has many fond memories of playing pranks on her older family members, as well as playing games and exploring the areas around the city. However, in England, things are very different and she finds it more difficult to find “fun” things to do in such a foreign country without completely embarrassing herself – and in extension, her family. She is intensely proud of where she comes from and can be quick to defend herself and her culture if need be. Nevertheless, she will jump at the opportunity to teach others about her culture if they are willing to listen and learn and she will do so with the utmost enthusiasm and openness. Strengths: » her intelligence (with a particular knack for politics and mathematics) » her maturity and level-headedness » dancing (only Indian dances, however; she is unfamiliar with Western forms of dance) » cooking a variety of Indian dishes » sewing and embroidery » sociable (if others are willing to be sociable back) » her open, honest nature Weaknessses: » her stubbornness » still getting over her culture shock » her quickness to defend herself » her conservative beliefs and general dislike for sudden change (she prefers to stick to tradition) » her quiet nature, especially amongst strangers Interests: » politics » studying different cultures » dancing » embroidery Pet Peeves: » those who look down on her for being Indian » when anyone makes a negative comment about any aspect of her culture » bad sewing/embroidery » when people don’t act their age » when people stare » male chauvinism » the fact that English food is so bland Quirks: » fidgets with the material of her clothes when thinking deeply » has an unusually high tolerance for spicy food (and hates “bland” food) Skills: » dance » embroidery and sewing » good with children » teaching » reading and writing » math Sample Post: [ See my sample for Eleanor Griffiths. ] Edited by Saraswati Dhaliwal, Sep 2 2008, 02:48 AM.
Posts: 3 Group: Members Member #16 Joined: Sep 2, 2008


Headmistress Cavendish	Sep 2 2008, 11:30 PM Post #2
Posts: 15 Group: Global Moderators Member #4 Joined: Aug 20, 2008	Miss Dhaliwal, It is of my utmost honor to announce your acceptance into the Pennington Academy for Young Ladies. You are coming into a school with an impeccable and distinguished reputation, and a very competitive curriculum for a Ladies' school. Congratulations on your acceptance. Your assigned residence is in the NORTH WING. You have your own choice of which bed you wish to take. Again, I welcome you into Pennington, and I do hope that you will enjoy your time here as an esteemed student. Amelia Cavendish Headmistress



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