सिमरन की छोटी-सी कहानी

In this chapter, students of Hindi will acquire the vocabulary, cultural knowledge, and reading skills necessary to understand and discuss India’s chai (tea) culture and ideas and pressures about beauty. It’s a common saying that drinking chai will cause your complexion to darken. This saying points to a many Indians’ preoccupation with fair skin. A preference for light complexion is expressed openly in matrimonial advertisements. It also drives the thriving market for so-called “fairness creams,” advertised by Bollywood superstars, that promise to lighten users’ complexions. All this goes to reinforce the troubling message that fair complexion is essential for success in one’s career and marriage. The chapter includes pre-reading questions about bad habits, a glossary of relevant vocabulary, and a story in which a girl is pressured by her mother to eat less and quit drinking chai and tells her she won’t find a husband unless she does so. The notes on culture elucidate issues related to chai culture and preferences for fair complexions, and the activities guide students in their comprehension of the story and in applying this knowledge to complete a comic strip and choose a menu for a dinner party.