Oh. Um. I'm 15 now, by the way... birthday was April 11th... happy birthday to me?

Mum and Dad sent me some new oil paints, and a little prayer book, and some pastries.

...I got this really pretty necklace from 'cousin' Atif and the others... well actually, it said it was from Viraj... I don't know who that is? But there was a note from Atif as well... *scribbles* That's all just so weird.

Rajani has a new layout.

I say new... I've actually never bothered to give her a rel layout before, but, she has one now. Fair warning, if you're computer's res is at 800x600, the layout will be bigger than your screen. (the header itself is 852 px wide. Yes, that's large. But it looks great at my resolution :D )

Anyway, look at it and tell me it's pretty.

(Yeah, I'm a bit late on posting this one. If you haven't read the rest, here is part one and part two.)

Rajani,

Thank you for writing back with such speed. I know the last letter didn't explain much. But I didn't want to burden you with too much if you weren't interested.

Now I'll tell you more about who I am. My name is Atif Chowdhury and I am your cousin, through your father's side. My great grandfather is your great great grandfather, Giridhar Parthasarathy. You have a lot of family that you've never met.

Your great grandfather, Ravi Parthasarathy, broke away from the family. This was becuase we were different from him. You see, Rajani, we are like you. Ravi was born without the ability to do magic, and he felt like he wanted nothing to do with us. All of the Parthasarathies since then have been like that. You know nothing about us becuase your father is ashamed of us.

He is probably ashamed of you too. I imagine he won't let you talk about your gift or your school. He has probably taught you that your faith forbids it, but it is really just his ignorance.

Wouldn't you like to embrace your powers, Rajani? To not have to hide who you are? To be around people who understand you? You could do great things, Rajani. It is not just about silly fortune telling and making a tea cup dance, like your school teaches you. There is much more that you are capable of doing.

We could teach you here. I have a son about your age, Viraj, you could go to school with him. We would all like to meet you, Rajani. We are your family, and we are just like you, and we would accept you and not shun you for what you were born as.

Give it some thought.

Rajani read the letter over three times, her face carefully blank of any emotion. With a surprising sense of calm she folded the letter up and tucked it into the back of her herbology book and put the book at the bottom of her trunk. Later. She'd deal with it later.

"Give her the letter, Kirthik," Yamini said calmly, a resigned frown on her face.

"What?!?!? Did you see what I saw patni? No one wanting to get in touch with her that way needs to be-"

"Oh for... Hoan vekh, it is probably just a friend, from that school of hers."

Rajani's father just stared. He could not give the reply he wanted. That would be an acknowledgment of that world, and he couldn't do that. He just stood fast with a tight grip on the folded parchment in his hand.

"Have we not been through this before pati? If she wants that letter, she will get it from you, you know."

A shuffle of bare feet indicated Rajani's arrival in the living room. She had seen the owl flying away from her house, and she recognized it. It was an Indian Eagle Owl, and she knew who must have sent it. As her parents turned to look at her, and she saw that her father was holding her letter, the air around her quivered, absolutely literally. Kirthik's eyes were wide as he saw the halo of haze around her, like heat rising from black asphalt in the summer. "My post, please," she said, a hint of steel to her voice.

"It's sunday, pootri," said Kirthik smoothly, as the hand that held the parchment moved behind his back. "You know post only comes in the week."

Yamini shook her head ruefully. Her husband was stupid to think that was a good thing to say. "My other post," Rajani said clearly. "I saw the... owl."

Kirthik opened his mouth to protest again, but his wife stopped him. "Oh for heaven's sake, Kirthik, it is just a letter, a letter can do no harm." And she took the parchment out of his hand, and offered it to Rajani.

The girl took the offered letter and the pressure that had been building in the room dropped off. She turned it over in her hands and nodded. She knew the handwriting.

"Who is it from then?" Yamini asked kindly.

"Oh, it's uh..." Rajani did her best not to hesitate, "From my friend Lia. at school. She's... helping me with some studying, for some things I don't quite understand."

"There, you see Kirthik, I told you. Have more faith in your child. She is working hard."

Kirthik scowled, then gave his daughter an apologetic nod as she swiftly disappeared up the stairs. She had a letter to read.

At home, everything was different

At home, Rajani had her bed. She had her clothes and her sheets and her books. She had her piano, which she could play anytime she wanted, and which she did. She had television, blissful television. She watched East Enders and tapes of old Man. U. games. She listened to music on the radio.

At home, Rajani had her family. She had her mother's delicious breads and cookies. She had her father to read to her, his low gravely voice toning out beautiful verses from the Sri Guru Granth Sahib . She didn't have to pray alone. She celebrated with her family the Martyrdom of the Guru's sons.

At home, there were no professors, no exams, no miles of parchment. There was only paper, and pens, not quills. At home there was no quidditch. There were no moving pictures, to appearing food, no misty ghosts floating around. There was no Dumbledore and no He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

At home, there was no magic. It wasn't real, it didn't exist, and Hogwarts was just a school, like any other boarding school.

Until the second letter arrived.

Delivered by an owl.

I... I got a really weird letter? I don't know. I have been trying to not think too much about recent events, Even though... I mean... I wasn't close with her but... Well I said my prayers, many of them, and God willing she is in a good place now.

But I've been doing what I do best, and focusing on my studies, and trying to put it from my mind. Mata is worried and Pita is furious, but I sent them a howler expressing my desire to stay here, and they seemed to get the message. So I've been trying to just, go on as usual.

Except for... this letter that came today. It was from... my cousin? Well he called himself my cousin by he is no cousin I know. I had some trouble with the letter, the English wasn't very good. Maybe they don't think I can read Punjabi? Well it was interesting, at any rate. I don't know what I'll do about it.

Backstory post!

( the lowdown )