Sara and I knew each other since seventh standard. We used to go to each other’s houses pretty often and met at least once a week at Amelin Christian’s house to listen to old songs on the radio. There was a group of five of us close friends and we were called “panchmala.”
At that time there were very few Bohra girls who came to study further in our high school. The girls were mostly discouraged from continuing their education past the fifth standard. Sara wanted to continue her high school studies and I was proud of the fact that she was taking such a deep interest in her studies despite the outside pressures to quit.
Even though it was considered taboo, she used to ride her bicycle to school. She was the first girl to do this, but not the last. Other people in our community gossiped and showed their disapproval but she did not care what other people said. She continued to break the rules in order to achieve her goals and other girls started to follow her example.
I sometimes helped her with her difficult homework but I also got to know her better while participating in other community activities. We once played together in a mixed doubles badminton match. I don’t remember if we won or lost but we had fun. Our entire “panchmala” group participated in a major intrastate drama competition called “A Aavjo.” She played a major role in that drama. A few years before that drama, we were both in a skit where I acted as a teacher and she acted as my classroom monitor. She always came to practice and was a dedicated team mate.
She hardly ever skipped any days of school. Due to her good nature and warm smile she made lots of friends from all religious and cultural backgrounds. She was an active member of the Dawoodi Bohra Student Council and participated in educational and cultural activities.
She was the first Bohra girl to graduate from high school and the first to go on to nursing school in Baroda. While she was away she had to endure more gossip about her reputation. People did not accept that she was getting an education, instead they were making up stories/accusations about her. They would say that she had run away from home, etc. Her fiancé’s family had decided to break their engagement when she refused to get married right after high school.
With the help and inspiration of her colleague and best friend Amelin she completed all three years and graduated from her nursing college in 1962. After becoming a registered nurse, she came home to Dahod to work at the nearby Railway Hospital. She was the first nurse from Dahod to be employed there and she treated our Dahod community patients with special care and compassion. They used to call her “Sister Sara” and I was proud to hear all the positive comments from her patients.
Sara & I got married in May 1968. She joined me in Boston (USA) 3 months later. She was so devoted to her duties as a nurse that she continued to work as a nurse in Railway hospital till the few days before her departure to USA. After coming to Boston she got her temporary license & continued to work until we were told that it was not possible to get her permanent license in Boston. I distinctly remember an instance of her generosity while we were in Boston- one Bohra family lost their sister during open heart surgery at the Children’s Hospital and she gladly gave our apartment for the last rites without knowing them personally. She would also often take care of the children of her friends during their emergencies.
We both decided to move to New York City where she could continue to work as a nurse. There she enjoyed working until the last month of her pregnancy with our daughter Ishrat. Her sister Shirin came over from India to help with the baby and stayed with us for over an year. They had a lot of fun together. While in New York she also made friends with several families. Everyone loved her warm smile, her pleasant manners, and her delicious cooking. We used to travel to upstate New York, New Jersey, Long Island and Boston to meet our friends.
Both of us did not like the cold weather in New York and decided to move south in 1976. She worked as a nurse in Texas until she became pregnant with our son Ishaq. After Ishaq was born in 1977 we decided to buy our first house and settle in the Dallas area. Shirinben joined us again to help with the children. She loved both Ishrat & Ishaq very dearly and took care to attend all of their school functions. She particularly loved to take them to the annual State Fair of Texas. We made lots of friends in Dallas from many diverse cultures. Even though we did not go to the mosque she kept her fasts and prayed at home during the holy months of Ramadan.
Unfortunately in early 1980 she was struck with the diagnosis of breast cancer and she underwent surgery and chemotherapy. By the grace of God she was cancer free for next five years. Unfortunately, the cancer returned in 1985 and she had to undergo more surgeries and chemotherapy again. Three compassionate ladies travelled especially to USA to tend to her needs in her final year of life. Rashidaben, her younger sister, came to help us and brought her young daughter Arefa as well. Taraben, her elder sister, who had been inspired by Sara to become a nurse herself, came to our aid after Rashidaben left. My elder sister Kubraben joined us in the final months of her life.
We made a very memorable trip to Dahod in 1986 so that she could meet all our family members, relatives, and friends again. After her return from India, her health deteriorated very fast and we lost her on March 23, 1987. She will always be remembered for her adventurous spirit. She would have been thrilled to see a Nursing College and Hostel established in our Dahod community. Her spirit will always remain alive with this important landmark – the “Saraben Nursing Hostel.”
Contributed by Dr. Yusuf Kundawala (Sara’s
Husband)—December-2013
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