A Burning

In acting class Mr. Debnath directs the students to perform a monologue in which they cry. This is a major challenge for any actor, and the students protest that on real film sets, actors are given drops to help their eyes tear up. Mr. Debnath tells the students to think of a time in their life that was truly sad, to transport themselves back to that time and tap into that emotion. Lovely reflects on the memory she can use to cry on cue: The story of her friend Ragini. Lovely grew up with her parents and extended family until age 13, when her preference for feminine clothing and makeup began to concern her family. Lovely could have brought dishonor to the family for being “half-half,” so the family sent her away. Lovely believed for some time that her mother was out there looking for her, but she turns away from this belief today.

Lovely ended up in a colony of hijras and learned how to dress, dance, and do her hair and makeup. Though she received little to no formal education, Lovely believes that it is best to learn from experience, and life as an outcast on the streets has taught her more than anything she could have learned in school.