December 29, 1946 

​

Namaste, today something very exciting happened. My family and I are getting a new house in Lahore, India. Right now we are in Kasur and it will be very easy to get there. I’m pretty excited to see the house. I am also pretty dumbfounded by the fact that we even got a house; it’s been really crazy these past few years of my life. I overheard my parents talking about how people want Muslims and Hindus to live in different countries. But I don’t think that’s going to happen. Besides, how can I leave my best friend here and go to another country? I know she is Muslim and I’m Hindu but that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends, does it? Well, I have to go. Mummy is calling me.  

 

Namaste again, 

Khushi Shankar 

​

​

​

December 30, 1946  

 

Today I turned sixteen and I had my first birthday celebration. Papa says that you celebrate your first birthday when you turn sixteen. Mummy gave me a lot of the jewelry that she got on her sixteenth birthday. She said that in two years I’m going to get married. Well anyway I also visited my best friend Zaara’s house. The Syed family has a lot of money. Zaara’s dad is a government worker who works with big people like Jinnah! They are also really nice people. When I went to their house, Zaara’s mom gave me a gift because today was my birthday. Well anyway, I have to go to bed now. 

 

Namaste again,  

Khushi Shankar  

​

​

​

December 31, 1946 

 

You know I don’t understand why there is so much discrimination between Hindu and Muslim religions. Today’s experiences taught me a lot about the current situation. I was walking over to Zaara’s house like I usually do, but this time it wasn’t a pleasant walk. On the way there, I encountered some of Zaara’s other friends on the sidewalk. They teased me saying that I was from a different religion than Zaara. They were saying that I’m a lower class girl while Zaara is from the upper class; they said that it was wrong for us to be friends. Then they started insulting my religion for no reason.  

 

That day I didn’t go to Zaara’s house. I ran straight back home trying not to shed tears. I felt as if I was a child, once again. I didn’t know anything about the world around me. When I went home, my parents explained that I couldn’t meet Zaara anymore. They said that due to the ongoing partition, what happened to me happens to Muslims in the Hindu-dominated regions. They said that people are getting killed and severely injured in Hindu-Muslim riots. They said that if they don’t get to one of the Hindu-dominated regions soon, they might have the same fate. In other words, they’re saying that I will have to leave Zaara and go to a place where I may never meet her again. I asked them about our new house in Lahore, India. All they said was that it’s now Lahore, Pakistan…  

​

Namaste once again, 

Khushi Shankar 

​

​

​

January 1, 1947 

 

Today my family went to a temple like every Sunday. After that, we also stopped at Zaara’s house. My family and the Syed family are really good friends, but soon that is all going to change… But anyway, when we met, instead of saying my regular Namaste, I said Salaam. I felt like they were strangers. My parents told them that we have to move to India. Zaara looked devastated. I felt bad. We’ve been friends for so many years now. I don’t understand. If Zaara and I can be friends, then why can’t Muslims and Hindus be friends? Why do they have to fight? Well, that’s it for now… 

 

Hope we can find a solution, 

Khushi Shankar

​

​

​

January 2, 1947 

 

We started packing today to leave. Tomorrow we will head to India. I’m sad, but if it is what we got to do, then it is what we got to do. Once we get there, I can still write letters to Zaara, so it doesn’t seem that bad. But I’d still rather stay here. Well I have to go now.  

I hope I’ll get to meet Zaara in the future, 

Khushi Shankar

​

​

​

We left Kasur, Pakistan on January 3, and we reached Amritsar, India safely on January 8, 1947. I would write to Zaara every week. Being here my dad is prospering in his career. I’m quite glad, but I do miss Zaara everyday. I will go back to Pakistan soon and maybe even meet Zaara. But for now I have to go. My mom is calling me downstairs. 

​

Khushi Shankar

​

​