The Night Diary: August 2, 1947–August 8, 1947

by Veera Hiranandani
In 1947, British India was divided into two separate and independent countries: India, a mostly Hindu nation, and Pakistan, a predominantly Muslim nation. The partition leaves Nisha, a girl with both Hindu and Muslim heritage, without a clear place to call home. She and her family must make a treacherous journey to try to find a safe haven in a country rocked by turmoil and violence.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: July 14, 1947–August 1, 1947; August 2, 1947–August 8, 1947; August 15, 1947–August 20, 1947; August 21, 1947–August 30, 1947; August 31, 1947–November 10, 1947
25 words 595 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. inject
    give an insertion into the body
    Amil and I watched with open mouths as he injected Kazi with something that would numb his skin and then started to thread his needle with thick black thread.
  2. gash
    a wound made by cutting
    I rubbed my forehead, which throbbed in the same place Kazi’s gash was.
  3. destiny
    the circumstances or condition to which someone is fated
    “Sometimes the world as you know it just decides to become something else. This is our destiny now,” he said, still rubbing his eyes.
  4. surge
    a sudden or abrupt strong increase
    A surge of anger I have never felt before bloomed in my chest.
  5. kameez
    a long tunic worn by people from South Asia
    Your hair was long and loose and you wore an emerald and gold salwar kameez.
  6. vendor
    someone who exchanges goods or services for money
    I listened to all the sounds of the market, vendors calling out prices, children laughing and crying, the rush of dried spices, beans, and rice being poured into bags.
  7. sitar
    a stringed instrument of India
    One boy played the sitar, one played a tabla.
  8. slight
    being of delicate or slender build
    He was a slight boy, with very thick eyebrows and deep-set dark eyes.
  9. ripple
    stir up so as to form small waves
    The music rippled out in waves over the growing crowd.
  10. incense
    a substance that produces a fragrant odor when burned
    He said he had known it because this morning he saw Papa take out the jasmine incense.
  11. quiver
    shake with fast, tremulous movements
    My bottom lip quivered as the news sunk in.
  12. secular
    not concerned with or devoted to religion
    "...When I open a body up, I see the blood, the muscles, the bones, all the same in every person, like Gandhiji says. Jinnah and Nehru, they are secular men, yet we need two countries instead of one because of religion. They are leading us toward this—this slicing, this partitioning of India,” Papa said, chopping his finger through the air.
  13. tend
    have care of or look after
    I like to think you’re holding my thoughts for me until I can tend to them again.
  14. curdle
    turn into curds
    I curdled the milk and tied the cheese cloths for the rasmalai.
  15. chiffon
    a sheer fabric of silk or rayon
    It even has a pink chiffon dupatta with little gold tassels that I can wrap around my neck or drape over my head.
  16. savor
    taste appreciatively
    I ate it slowly, savoring the crispy outside tingling with the tart green chutney I dipped it in.
  17. tart
    tasting sour like a lemon
    I ate it slowly, savoring the crispy outside tingling with the tart green chutney I dipped it in.
  18. chutney
    a spicy relish usually made with fruit, vinegar, and spices
    I ate it slowly, savoring the crispy outside tingling with the tart green chutney I dipped it in.
  19. frantic
    marked by uncontrolled excitement or emotion
    A frantic feeling started to grow, travel through my body, as if I was supposed to find that plug, put it back in, and stop whatever was happening.
  20. reluctantly
    with a certain degree of unwillingness
    Papa turned and saw me hiding near the kitchen. He waved me over to the door. I reluctantly came.
  21. balmy
    mild and pleasant
    “I told Malli that we were leaving, and she didn’t know. I thought everyone knew,” I spoke into the balmy darkness.
  22. carefree
    without trouble or worry
    I couldn’t imagine Papa as a child, carefree and playful.
  23. ventricle
    a chamber of the heart that receives blood from an atrium
    I study the heart, the ventricles, the arteries, the bones, the liver, the kidneys, the spleen, the lungs, the blood that runs through the veins.
  24. artery
    a blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the body
    I study the heart, the ventricles, the arteries, the bones, the liver, the kidneys, the spleen, the lungs, the blood that runs through the veins.
  25. spleen
    a large oval organ between the stomach and the diaphragm
    I study the heart, the ventricles, the arteries, the bones, the liver, the kidneys, the spleen, the lungs, the blood that runs through the veins.
Created on Tue Dec 04 19:03:27 EST 2018 (updated Fri Dec 14 09:48:03 EST 2018)

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