Monsoon Summer by kaoruhana
Kagome's Project
A/N: So, this story is based on an internship I did two years ago. It was for Tata Chemical's Society for Rural Development, not Hotaru Salt Works and was the most humbling and amazing experience of my life. Like Kagome, I was an oddball. I was an American (who looks like your average Indian girl) but didn't know the local langauge and had meager Hindi skills. Anywho, enjoy :)
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The next day Kagome sat in Sesshomaru’s office trying not to fidget as she awaited Sesshomaru’s response to her query. She had just told him about the idea she had for her internship this summer and he seemed unimpressed with her idea. Kagome thought it was a hard project to tackle and was a little annoyed that he was measuring her slowly. Was she not cut out enough for his department? She wanted to show him her credentials and argue but bit her lip and decided to wait to see what he had to say.
“While you pose an interesting study Kagome, and one that we would benefit from, I unfortunately think it’s not possible.” She wanted to argue with him and ask why when he continued.
“Frankly put you need a guide to be with you the entire time if you are going to make an SHG self-sufficient and we don’t have a staff member who can do that. While Anita is your guide she still has other work she needs to get done. That is why I’m thinking of setting you up with another project that will allow you to still work with the SHG’s but in a different manner.”
“What kind of project are you talking about?” Kagome asked. She immediately regretted asking the question at Sesshomaru’s glare. What had she done now she wondered? Did she speak out of turn or something?
“If you let me finish I will tell you.” Sesshomaru admonished. Beside her she heard Dungar-bhai shift in his chair feeling just as uncomfortable as she was and he wasn’t even the one being scolded. She mumbled a quick apology as Sesshomaru continued. This man unnerved her and made her feel like a child, a true intern, instead of the seasoned intern that she was. Sesshomaru cleared his throat and she turned scared eyes to him resisting the urge to squirm under his gaze.
“I want you to do an impact analysis on the SHG’s we have going. I’m sure you’ve heard from Anita about the cluster projects correct?” Kagome nodded as she remembered the information that Anita had given her. “I want you to visit those SHG’s and others and see if the programs implemented are of any value to HORD. Some of the projects need to be reworked and since Anita doesn’t have the time to do a full analysis I’m asking you to do it for us. You yourself will gain valuable field experience because you get to visit various SHG’s with different backgrounds and learn about the variety in this field. At the same time you also will be contributing to HORD’s growth and will be doing project work that you can effectively show back in Japan. What do you think?”
Kagome was a little touched that he actually tried to tailor his program idea to suit her interests. Nonetheless it wasn’t what she had initially wanted to do. She thought about it. She couldn’t monopolize Anita’s time, that was true, and she had to find a new project so that she could take something back with her to Japan. It was actually going to be nice to find this field research from an available source. She could use it when she wrote her final paper for her masters’ program because she had readily available information from a large information source composed of numerous SHG’s and a unique cluster program. And the impact analysis she made would give her the information she needed to offer suggestions for future SHG programs that would be implemented. All in all, it didn’t sound so bad and it would help her and give her the chance to learn.
“I’ll do it.” She announced before going on with her reply. “But I’ve never done an impact analysis before. I think I know the basic information that goes into it but are there any specific guidelines for the report?”
“Yes. I want you to try to survey 100 SHG women from between seven to ten SHG’s. From this I want you to pick two case studies- one of an SHG that needs improvement and one of an SHG that is successful. I also want you to do the report in Japanese as well as English. You are not just submitting the report to me but to the head office so that they know whether or not to continue with the programs being implemented here. Can you do that for me?”
Kagome nodded while inwardly panicking. A report in Japanese? While she could easily speak and read it writing Japanese had never been Kagome’s forte. Her mother had paid big money for Kagome and Souta to go to English medium schools. Even today, most of her coursework was done in English and any work she had to do in Japanese was a chore. She’d try her hardest to do this report right but she could only do so much. If only the Japanese head could look it over before she submitted it. That was not going to happen she thought glancing once more at the man in front of her. He didn’t seem to be the friendly and helping type.
“Well then, why don’t you go sit down with Anita and discuss your visits? Also, see if you can go shopping with her this weekend. I think for some of the more rural SHG’s it might be beneficial if you wore a kurta.” She nodded this time flushing from embarrassment at Sesshomaru’s disapproval of her outfits. She knew he meant well but she liked Anita’s explanation of her clothing options much better than she did his.
Kagome stood, giving him a quick goodbye, and making her way out of the room. She had asked numerous times for information regarding the internship and no one had ever mentioned clothing as a problem. She had tried to think of the places she was going (remembering her university trips to Indonesia) and packed conservatively by packing a large number of full sleeve tops and jeans instead of the shorts and skirts she was itching to wear in this hot weather. It wasn’t like she had anything else to pack she thought walking into the office Anita shared with Anil-Bhai. Approaching the desk Anita sat in, she greeted her slowly.
“Hey.” Anita looked up a little startled before smiling back at Kagome.
“Hey. How are you today?”
“Good.” Kagome answered taking a nearby seat. “I just wanted to let you know that I’m going to be traveling with you for the duration of my project.”
“Really?” Anita asked wondering what project it was. She had a feeling that her manager wouldn’t let the intern take on the project she’d originally wanted but she was still curious about what Kagome had been assigned to do.
“Yes, I’m supposed to do an impact analysis on the SHG programs. I have to interview at least 100 women from seven to ten SHG’s and create two case studies- one of a successful SHG and one of an unsuccessful one. Do you think you can help me with that?” Anita seemed to think on it before acquiescing to Kagome’s request.
“We can do that. Any particular kinds of SHG’s you want to cover? If you let me know that I can tailor my schedule so three or four days a week we can go visit the SHG’s. That way, if you have say 10 SHG’s to cover you’ll get to meet up with them at least three different times and see the way things are running.”
Kagome knew what she wanted. The cluster program in this area of India was one she had never heard of. She wanted to learn more about it and use that in her research. As it was, there were numerous SHG’s covered under HORD. She knew that it wouldn’t be difficult to see the progress from SHG to cluster. In fact, she now had an idea of what she wanted to focus on for her master’s thesis. She could visit a few new self-help groups, a few which were in the process of transition, and then the clusters themselves. It would give her a chance to analyze the process and see the end result. Not only would that information be useful for the impact analysis Sesshomaru had assigned her; it would also aid her in her own research and give her valuable field work data.
She looked at the HORD worker confidently. “I’d like to cover both old and new SHG’s. And in the ones that are old if one or two of them are clusters that would help a lot.” Anita nodded jotting some things down on a page.
“I could take you to the SHG that makes blankets today since I’m going there in the afternoon. And then another one is there that just finished stitching training in rexin products. Also a few new SHG’s –one of them is in Mudhvel. I can take you to Mudhvel Friday since we have to visit there anyway.” She scratched something out and wrote something else down. “But tomorrow, maybe afternoon, you could go visit Neelam’s cluster? Anil-bhai should be free so he can go with you.”
Kagome nodded, straining to see what Anita was writing. “That sounds great. When can I learn about more about these SHG programs?” Anita looked up at her, a smile on her face.
“Saturday morning is when we do all the planning for next week, so why don’t you come then? You will have an idea too of kind of SHG’s to see and from there we can continue. So far you have four, with the Gayatrinagar SHG visited yesterday. So we’ll try to get you another three or four next week and the week after and then you can just keep visiting the ones then okay?” Anita was telling her to follow a pattern, Kagome realized. It would give her time to track the progress of the SHG’s and gain information.
“Yes that sounds good.” She hesitated but asked anyway, curious about the SHG’s Anita had decided to have her cover. “Could you um… what are the four SHG’s?” Kagome wanted to write the names down and she pulled out the notebook that she’d brought with her. Anita smiled at her, reassuring her and passed her the notebook she had written in.
“There’s Gayatrinagar SHG, Mudhvel- that’s M-U-D-H-V-E-L, Udyognagar- they make the blankets, and Kurta-making cluster.” Kagome nodded jotting the names down. She wasn’t sure what to do right now and it seemed that Anita understood her problem.
“We’ll go visit in the afternoon so why don’t you go back to Okha Mahel? Like yesterday I will pick you up.” Anita suggested indicating with her hands. Kagome nodded. It would be at least four hours before she was picked up, but in that time she could pack her bag and create a detailed list of questions to ask and things to note during her visit.
“That sounds good. I’ll tell Sesshomaru that I’m leaving.” She had to struggle to call him by his first name. Years of manner taught to her by her mother stressed the importance of formal conversation and addressing others by last name. In this informal environment, she wasn’t sure if sticking to the manners she was taught was possible. She said goodbye to Anita and made her way next door.
“Um excuse me.” She began when she entered his office. He looked up from doing paperwork and indicated for her to take a seat. She didn’t and instead informed him of her schedule. She didn’t necessarily need his approval but it made her feel better, especially since he was her supervisor.
“I just wanted to let you know that I’m leaving for now. I’ve planned afternoon visits with Anita to different SHG’s for the rest of the week so um I have nothing to do now.” Kagome didn’t know why she was babbling but there was something about Sesshomaru’s intimidating stare that did startle her a little. He nodded dismissing her as he turned back to his paperwork.
“All right then Kagome. If you need anything don’t hesitate to let me know.”
“I won’t. Goodbye then sir.” In her hurry to scramble out of his office she didn’t notice that his eyes had flicked up to hers. It had been nearly three years since he’d been addressed in that manner not that he would ever tell her that. It was just surprising to hear it again. Next to him, his colleague let out a small laugh. Sesshomaru flicked his eyes to the elder males who stopped laughing but continued to grin in amusement.
* * * * *
Later that afternoon Kagome sat next to Anita in the car as the two were driven onto a long narrow road. She was told that Udyognagar was a little far from Okha and as they went by more and more farmland Kagome had to agree. There were lots of cactus type shrubs as well which surprised her until Anita mentioned that this part of India was dry and arid. She’d worn the same style of clothes she’d worn yesterday, but Anita had told her that the two of them were going shopping later in the week, preferably before Friday.
“Is Mudhvel really that bad?” Kagome asked finally turning away from the window. She was told that she would need to wear a kurta on Friday because of the location they were visiting.
Anita sighed. “The women there Kagome, they are lucky to even have an SHG of some sort- they have to give money to their husbands every night so that the men can drink. Gujarat is a dry state, you can only imagine how bad it is.” Kagome nodded understanding Anita’s sudden need to keep her looking as traditional as possible. Sometimes she wondered why she was so lucky compared to the rural women here. Still, she felt there was more to this story and so she asked.
“What else is wrong with that SHG?” Anita took in the intern assessing something that Kagome didn’t know. As she did so, Kagome noticed there was a pained look on Anita’s face making her wonder if she should have even asked the question.
“I’m dismantling the SHG tomorrow. They defaulted on their loans twice because they couldn’t pay it back.”
The drinking money Kagome thought averting her eyes to the window again. Yesterday, she had been excited about her internship when she had seen the success of the women. Today, she realized that not every situation was as uplifting as that one. There was always going to be someone who struggled to gain equality and an even footing. Even in the most modern societies, women weren’t valued as much. She could note instances in her own country for example. But it wouldn’t do to think of that now.
“Tell me more about this cluster we’re visiting.” Kagome asked trying to lift the mood in the car. The driver- a young man fresh out of high school named Kush*- was maneuvering them down the dirt road and apologized for the bumps that were to come.
“They stitch.” Anita dug around in her bag before pulling out a booklet, one that Kagome had seen in the HORD office. “See this bed sheet and that pillow cover? These are traditional designs that the women stitch. We wanted to help them make this into a business.”
Kagome took the book from Anita and marveled at the images. Stitched and embroidered on a plain white cotton sheet were images of elephants, peacocks, and flowers. They were bright- blue and yellow, pink and orange, purple and green. She knew that back home, sheets like this would be popular with only a select crowd. However, she’d seen items like these while scrolling through websites online and knew that the women could easily transform their skills into a revenue generating business.
“These are beautiful.” She handed the book back to Anita who shook her head.
“I have lots of these I can get to at the office. Why don’t you keep this one? It details all the projects we ran last year and highlights the important ones. You could use it for your research.” Kagome put the book away, happy for the extra help. A bump caused her to clutch the seat in front of her and the driver grinned back sheepishly while saying sorry. Anita pointed to a building and spoke something in the local language. A few minutes later, they were parked in front of the building and leaving their car.
Kagome followed Anita into the building. It looked new compared to the surrounding area. She left her shoes by the stairs like Anita and followed her inside. A large gathering of women were present in the room already. Some of them were chatting while others had brought their embroidery to work on. She spotted a pillowcase in one corner and what looked to be a wall covering in another cover. Women were huddled over them and were working on doing the finishing touches.
“Jai Shree Krishna.” Anita stated greeting an elder woman. She had large earrings in her ears and put her hands together in the same manner as the lady from yesterday, clasped together at the palms. The elderly lady said the same words as Anita who indicated for Kagome to come over. She gestured for Kagome to do the same and then guided her in saying the same greeting. It sounded terrible and accented coming from her mouth but it made the woman smile.
Anita gestured for her to take a seat. “We’re going to start the meeting soon. Before that, do you have any plans for what you would like to do today?”
“I have a questionnaire. I’d like to get some answers.” Kagome hesitated but then asked. “I can ask them questions on later visits too correct?” Anita nodded as the women in the room began to form a large circle reminiscent of the scene Kagome had seen yesterday.
The elderly lady who had greeted Anita and Kagome began the meeting by raising her voice and pulling out a book. She flipped through the pages and Kagome snuck a peek. It was an accounts book. In it, she noted names and numbers along with dates. She assumed the numbers next to names were the amount that each woman was putting into the village’s savings account and that the rest of the information detailed the usage of those savings. The elderly lady stopped at a blank page- already marked with a date and columns- and spoke again.
“She’s going to go around and ask everyone how much they can put into the savings this month.” Anita clarified as the meeting continued. “If you want, you can take pictures of this.” Kagome opened her bag, getting curious looks from the women present, and pulled out her camera. She hesitated and turned to her guide.
“Can I record the meeting?” Anita looked at the camera curiously.
“You can record a video?” Kagome nodded and Anita shrugged. “Let me ask.” She said something in the local language- Kagome was going to have to learn some of it before she left- and then nodded to the Japanese intern. With a grin, Kagome turned on her digital camera and hit record.
The video was long and Kagome was glad that she’d already downloaded the pictures from the day before onto her computer. The first half of the meeting was methodical and was done in a strict manner. It made sense, in a way. As they got to the last member of the SHG and she iterated how much she could contribute, Anita motioned for Kagome to stop the recording. She did, waiting to see what would happen next. Anita murmured something to the woman who then addressed the group at large. Kagome watched curiously, wondering what they were discussing, and was surprised when Anita stood and made her way to her.
“They’re going to discuss what to do with the savings. They can invest it in new agriculture products for their family farms or they can set it aside in the school fund. Six years ago, when this SHG first formed, they decided to create a school fund that they add to every year. It pays for the school fees of village children. Not every child can go, but most now are able to, including quite a few girls.”
“Do they have enough in the fund currently?”
Anita nodded. “They have enough to send all the current school going children to school for the upcoming year. They can add to it and send more or invest in crops. I think they’re going to choose the farming option.” Kagome furrowed her brow as she took in the debate playing out in front of her. She may not know what they were speaking, but she understood enough from the brief synopsis and the gestures the women were making, that they were having a vibrant discussion.
“Is there a reason they need to invest in agriculture?” Kagome asked pulling out her notebook and a pen to take notes.
“Yes, last year, there was hardly any rainfall in the region. We are used to dry days in Okha, but last year, there was only three inches of rainfall.”
Kagome jotted that down thinking about it. She remembered from the power point she was shown yesterday that the region averaged five inches of rain. She had thought that the meager amount was hardly sufficient for agriculture and had to agree with Anita. It seemed like it might be the better option to invest in agriculture products this month. Food always won over education.
The women were making cases now. The woman leader who was conducting the meeting called on specific individuals to make their arguments and each member of the SHG listened carefully. As they did so, Anita explained the gist of the ongoing discussion to Kagome to help the young woman understand better. She took it all in eagerly, wanting to know more about the situation. She had no idea if this was going to be one of the SHG’s she used for her case study but she would pretend it was. That way, when it came time to find the true case study, she would have something to look back on and compare.
“They have decided.” Anita stated suddenly bringing Kagome’s attention back to her guide. “They want to invest three fourths of the amount saved this month into agriculture and put the rest in the education fund.”
“That’s quite pragmatic.” Kagome noted. Anita looked at her curiously and Kagome realized that the woman hadn’t understood her.
“Er… what I mean is, the decision is in the interest of all parties and seems to be the best solution.”
“Oh yes.” The group leader beckoned Anita and Kagome over. “I asked her about the interviews earlier.” Anita explained. “She and a few others agreed to answer some questions.”
Kagome and Anita stood and made their way over to the woman. She had dismissed the meeting and most of the women had split into groups- some leaving, some staying in the room, and a few making their way over to where the HORD workers were. Kagome took a seat and when a curious look was cast towards her camera, she turned it back on and showed the pictures and video. One of the women hid her face behind her sari, a little embarrassed at the picture. The elder lady was curious and peered eagerly. It was a novelty to see this, Kagome realized.
“Kagome, why don’t you begin? You said you had a questionnaire- you ask, I translate.” The Japanese intern nodded and opened her notebook again. She hesitated but then spoke.
“Do you think you can record the interviews?” She may not be able to understand the answers but she could use the video and pictures in her study.
“I could but… if it is not rude why do you want to tape the interview?”
“I am actually studying my masters and my thesis focuses on SHG development. I plan on using the work I did here in my research.” Anita considered the new information before taking the digital camera from Kagome. Kagome quickly instructed the HORD employee on how to use it and set to work.
She spoke slowly and carefully and Anita translated both the questions and answers. For each woman, the answers and questions had to be posed differently. One was able to answer quickly and succinctly, while another had to be promoted for answers and had to hear questions in two different formats to understand them. While Kagome had trust in Anita, she realized the woman was giving hints to prompt answers and she jotted that down as a side note in her notebook. She didn’t want to judge the woman but things always changed in translation despite the people’s best intentions. There was a bias in her field work and she had to note it.
“How much did you say she makes?” Kagome asked confused as they neared the end of the questionnaire for their last interviewee. She had thought she had been goofing up in her responses for the other three women but now she was sure there was a miscalculation somewhere.
“4,000 Rupees** twice a year.” Anita stated. It shocked Kagome to hear the woman say it so casually. That amount of money was hardly enough to buy groceries for a month in Japan.
“They can survive on that?” Kagome knew that there were places in the world where the cost of living was lower. She also knew there were places where a lower cost of living was affordable. But in all her fieldwork she had never encountered such a low number and seen people live as comfortably as these women were living.
“I’m not saying they can live a lavish life but if you think about it, these women generally bring in only one half or one third of the entire family income. If you add the money their husbands or other family members make to this number, it’s a little more livable.”
“Oh.” Kagome wrote the number down still unsure. She wanted to double check the number with someone in the HORD office just in case.
“Any more questions?” Anita double checked. Kagome shook her head.
Anita then spoke to the women sitting down and soon they stood up with Kagome following. She took the camera being handed back to her and packed it and her notebook away. Anita offered the woman a goodbye and Kagome waved her hand in farewell as they made their way out of the room. They descended the stairs and slipped on their shoes before getting back into the car which was patiently waiting for them this entire time.
“We head back to HORD now. Is there something you need to do?” Kagome shook her head as she looked at the time. It was nearing four which meant that the office closed in an hour. She had learned from Sunil that morning that timings for work were punctual in and around the Hotaru Salt Works and other areas of work.
“Then you can go home?” Anita asked. Kagome shrugged her shoulders. She honestly had no set timeline given to her- she just had to meet the deadlines given to her. “Then I’ll ask Kush to drop you home. It’s on the way to the HORD office anyway.”
The rest of the drive was silent as Kagome thought of her project. She supposed she could spend the rest of the day going over the videos and pictures she had taken. She should also probably type up the answers she had been given. After that, she had no idea what she wanted to do. Perhaps she could ask Sunil if there was a place she could visit. She had researched the area she was visiting on the internet and learned that it boasted of a huge wild peacock population.
“We’re here.” Kagome focused her gaze and noticed the building she was staying in drawing closer. She checked to make sure all her materials were with her and when the car stopped in front of Okha Mahel’s doors she got out.
“Thank you Anita. I liked the visit today.” Anita nodded and then spoke.
“Tomorrow morning, if you come at ten, Neelam-Bein can take you to visit her cluster and come back before lunch. I can’t go so you would only be able to take videos and notes.”
“Okay, that’s fine. But can I still go on a visit with you tomorrow?” Kagome knew she was dependent on the schedules of Anita and the other workers in HORD and was going to try her hardest to adjust her schedule to match theirs.
“Of course. We’ll go in the afternoon, like we did today. Is that okay?” Kagome nodded, thanking her and the driver one more time before closing the car door and making her way into the air conditioned rooms of Okha Mahel.
Sunil was working at the reception and waved to her. She waved back and thought about going upstairs but stopped. She didn’t have a lot of work to do today and it was still light out. She could even push her work to tomorrow morning without a problem. Sunil, she knew, would probably know where to go to get wildlife photos. And he could advise her which areas to avoid as a foreign female. She knew that she had to careful as a female who was alone in Okha.
“Sunil, I heard you can see peacocks here. Where can I find them?” The young man grinned widely making Kagome happy that she had asked him. Nothing beat getting advice from a local.
“The beach is a fifteen minute walk from here. Would you like directions?” Kagome nodded eagerly. She had known that the region was close to the ocean but hadn’t thought it was so near to her. “From here take the first street on the left. Continue until you reach the school. From there, make another left and cross the bridge. Just walk down that road and you will reach the ocean.” She repeated the directions to make sure she understood them and soon left him at the reception to head upstairs and get ready for her beach excursion.
When Kagome unlocked her room she noticed that someone had been in there to clean. The trash had been emptied and the bed had been made differently than she had made it in the morning. She made her way to the dresser to put her book bag down when she noticed something crawl across the wood. Hesitant and wary, she looked at it and promptly screamed as a small alligator colored lizard continued to crawl across the dresser then jump on the floor and disappear under the bed. Footsteps sounded and one of the maintenance workers showed up at the door asking her what was wrong.
“Lizard.” Kagome squeaked pointing under the bed. This maintenance worker didn’t understand English but Sunil showed up behind him a moment later asking what the commotion was. Kagome pointed to the bed and once again stated her problem.
Sunil and the worker got on the floor and searched for the lizard but it had disappeared somewhere. She wasn’t sure whether she should be reassured by the fact that the lizard had disappeared. She’d seen lizards crawl on walls before but she had never seen one move across wood and the ground. It made her shudder and she wanted to disinfect her desk. Sunil reassured her that the lizard wouldn’t harm her and that it was something she would have to unfortunately live with.
“Are they everywhere?” She asked.
“In Okha, yes. We have to live with them.” He paused and then continued. “It is said in Hindu mythology that if a lizard lands on your head and climbs down your back all the way down to the ground you will be a queen one day.” Kagome shuddered just imaging it.
“I don’t think I want that.”
“Of course. I’ll ask the workers to look for any lizards in your room tomorrow but for now I’m afraid you have to live with them.” Kagome assured him that she would be fine. As long as she never saw that lizard again she would be fine.
They left and she scanned the dresser again before placing the book bag on it. She approached the second bed- the one closer to the window and the air conditioner- and looked around it. No lizard there. Pleased, she then opened her book bag and took out her camera. Her laptop was on the bed where she had left it but she made a mental note to store it in her luggage tomorrow. If there were workers going in and out of her room to clean she preferred having her valuables stored away. She attached her camera to the laptop using a USB wire and downloaded the videos and pictures from her visit. When her camera was free of space again, she packed it back up.
She had packed a tote bag in her carry on just in case and she was now glad to be able to use it. Taking it out, she dropped her camera, a water bottle, her phone, her purse, and the room key into it. She then took her laptop and the plugs and wires that came with all her electronics and placed them in the outer zip of her carry on suitcase. Once she was sure it was secure, she closed the closet door and had to stifle another scream. A tiny lizard scurried away from the door to head inside. She had never been more grateful in her life to have remembered to zip up her suitcases every day after grabbing her clothes.
The road to the beach was quite easy to find, but it had taken her at least ten minutes to get there. As she neared it, she noticed that the school had just been let out and numerous kids of all ages were bidding goodbye to their classmates as they made their way home. She also noted that there were homes jutting out on the streets around the school. These, she had learned from her research before coming to India, housed the workers from the Hotaru Salt Works factories and other Hotaru Enterprises such as HORD. Wanting to know more about it but knowing that she would get her answers later, she crossed the bridge and made her way towards the beach.
The walk was cool with the sun starting to diminish in strength and the trees lining the walkway providing some shade. She heard what sounded like a cat but brushed it off and continued. Next to her, other Okha residents also made their way- most shooting her weird looks because they noted she was a foreigner. A few motorcycles went by as well. Five minutes later, she heard the sound of waves and noted that there were some large looking animals near the beach eating. They were separated from her by a fence and a few yards but they looked tall and majestic and reminded her of the shika deer of Japan.
“Nilgai!” Someone exclaimed near her.
Kagome turned and saw a young woman holding a toddler. She stored the name of the animal in her mind and took her camera out to take a picture. The nilgai turned their head to look at her at the sound of the camera and then noticed the amount of people around them. One made a sound and turned to run away. The others soon followed suit and within moments they had disappeared into the trees and bushes on the other side of the fence. Giggling, Kagome took her camera and walked towards the actual beach which she knew was just up ahead.
The beach was still quiet- most of the residents had yet to show up because work was just ending. There were a few young children with their mothers or caretakers to keep her company. The sand was clean and pristine and she noticed a stray dog or two lurking around. A crunch sounded under her foot and she looked down to find that she had stepped on a shell. She slowly uncovered it and noted that it was an odd green color. Shells in Japan came in all colors but this one was a pale iridescent green on the outside and inside. It had luckily survived her foot and so she pocketed it as she continued to explore the beach.
When Kagome returned to Okha Mahel it was nearing six and night was fast approaching. She headed upstairs to her room and waited outside the door for a moment checking for any lizards before going inside. She left her shoes by the door and went to the bathroom to wash her hands and feet. Then she took a seat on the bed and added her photos to the album she had created yesterday. By the time she was done going through and editing the album, it was nearing dinner time. Pleased with her work today, she turned on the television in the corner of the room and watched an American movie until she had to go down to eat.
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A/N: *Kush is pronounced like bush. Also a nilgai is a deer. It's said to look blue (they never did to me) but really has a gray coat. They're huge and cute herbivores. Seriously, one came to eat under the balcony of my dorm room once. It was so cute! Also, feel free to leave any questions in reviews or PM me if you have any other questions. Also the amount of income the women make transaltes to around $67.00. And yes, the lizards thing happened to me, except when I was unlocking my room door. Nothing scares you more than to feel something fall on your hand and then see a lizard jump to the floor and scurry away.