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A Wish for Kali

by Parul Sharma

“If only I’d been born in August, Papa would’ve been home with me on my birthday,” I said sadly. “Why does his army posting take him so far away from home?”


“You know Papa would be here if he could.” Mamma squeezed my hand gently. “August is almost here, Raani. We’ll try making the most of your birthday without Papa. Remember my promise?”


“Of course, I do,” I said, cheering up instantly.


We were walking down the crowded temple bazaar of Kalibari, the home of the goddess Kali. Roadside vendors noisily hawked their colorful wares as a steady stream of devotees made their way to the temple, its vermilion dome blazing against the clear blue June sky.


“Khan, you sell the most expensive fruits in Shimla,” Mamma complained when we stopped at the fruit vendor’s stall.


“They’re also the best, bibi,” smiled Khan, a big, bearded man wearing a spotless white skullcap and kaftan while weighing a bunch of ripe bananas and a handful of golden apples.


My mouth watered at the sight of Khan’s stock of succulent mangoes, but I held back from asking for them when I saw Mamma carefully count out the money and pay Khan a thin bundle of rupee notes.


As we neared Kalibari, I heard the nonstop clang of temple bells as barefoot worshipers made their way in and out of the temple. Monkeys loitered and lazed on the parapets along the temple’s sprawling terrace overlooking Shimla’s pine-covered hills. The four-armed Kali—her eyes ablaze with fury and her red tongue hanging out—sent little shivers down my spine.


I knew Kali’s story by heart. When the demons warred with the gods to become masters of the universe, and the gods stood on the brink of defeat, they joined forces to give birth to the all-powerful Kali. Enraged with the wicked ways of the demons, Kali single-handedly destroyed them all and saved the gods from defeat.


“Kali never fails her children,” Mamma said whenever she recounted Kali’s story. “She loves and protects them and fulfills their deepest wishes.”


Mamma offered the fruits to a saffron-robed priest with an ash-smeared forehead and stopped before Kali, her head bowed, eyes closed, and lips moving in silent prayer.


I inched closer to the goddess before folding my hands and shutting my eyes. “O Kali,” I prayed, “it’s my ninth birthday tomorrow. Mamma promised we’ll go to the Dollhouse today to buy me a present. This will be my first visit to the Dollhouse since Papa and I walked past its window during his last leave home. The rich kids at school go there all the time and say it’s full of amazing dolls of all shapes and sizes and colors. But I already know which one I want. She sits in the far corner of the store window and has big brown eyes and thick curls and the loveliest smile ever. I’ve named her Saloni. I hope Mamma has enough money to buy me Saloni.”


I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. Kali glared back unblinkingly. While Mamma continued to pray, I silently backed away from Kali and circled the inner sanctum three times while fervently repeating under my breath, “I wish I get Saloni, I wish I get Saloni, I wish I get Saloni . . .”


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Adapted from A Wish for Kali, by Parul Sharma, ©️️ by Cricket Media, Inc. Reproduced with permission.

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Questions
“When the demons warred with the gods to become masters of the universe, and the gods stood on the brink of defeat, they joined forces to give birth to the all-powerful Kali. Enraged with the wicked ways of the demons, Kali single-handedly destroyed them all and saved the gods from defeat.”

How does this excerpt contribute to the development of this text?


It introduces the setting of the temple Kalibari.


It introduces the main character, the goddess Kali, and why she is honored.


It introduces the conflict between Raani and the goddess Kali.


It introduces the setting of the temple of the goddess Kali and why Raani wants the doll.

Answer 1

It introduces the main character, the goddess Kali, and why she is honored.

Explanation: the passage gives Kali’s origin and deeds (defeating demons), which explains her power and why worshipers revere her.