Bholi

Early Childhood and Struggles

Sulekha, the fourth daughter of Numberdar Ramlal, was nicknamed Bholi (the simpleton) because of a childhood head injury at ten months old that damaged part of her brain.
Originally a fair and pretty baby, she suffered an attack of smallpox at age two, which left her entire body permanently disfigured by deep black pock-marks.
She was a late talker, only beginning to speak at age five, and developed a heavy stammer that caused other children to make fun of her, leading her to become very quiet.
Despite being born into a prosperous farmer's household, Bholi was the only child who was neither healthy nor strong, and she was largely neglected by her family.

When a primary school for girls opened in the village, the Tehsildar urged Ramlal to set an example by sending his daughters to school.
Ramlal’s wife suggested sending Bholi, not because she valued her education, but because she believed Bholi’s "ugly face" and "lack of sense" made her chances of marriage nearly impossible anyway.
On her first day, Bholi was terrified, but receiving a clean dress and having her hair oiled made her feel she was going to a place better than her home.
At school, Bholi met a kind and encouraging teacher whose soft voice and affectionate manner gave her the confidence to try speaking her name and eventually overcome her fear.
The teacher promised Bholi that through education, she would become more learned than anyone else in the village, ensuring no one would ever laugh at her again.

Years later, as the village grew into a small town, Ramlal accepted a marriage proposal for Bholi from Bishamber Nath, a wealthy but much older grocer who was also lame and had grown children from a previous marriage.
Bholi's parents accepted the match because Bishamber was well-to-do and did not initially ask for a dowry.
During the wedding ceremony, Bishamber saw Bholi’s pock-marked face for the first time and greedily demanded five thousand rupees as a condition to marry her.
To save his family's honor, a tearful Ramlal placed the money at Bishamber's feet, but the humiliation sparked a transformation in Bholi.

Just as Bishamber went to garland her, Bholi flung the garland into the fire and refused to marry him, speaking in a clear, steady voice without any stammer.
She denounced Bishamber as a "mean, greedy, and contemptible coward," refusing to sacrifice her dignity for a man who tried to exploit her father.
When the neighbors and family called her "shameless," Bholi stood her ground, asserting that she was no longer a "dumb-driven cow."
Bholi, now referred to by her real name Sulekha, comforted her father by stating she would serve her parents in their old age and teach in the same school where she had learned so much.
The story concludes with her teacher watching with deep satisfaction, viewing Bholi as a "masterpiece" of her own making.

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