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Monica
The thin and severe-looking Shilpa, whom Lakshmi refers to as the “aging bird girl” before learning her real name, lives at Happiness House and “spies” on the other girls for Mumtaz. She is an alcoholic and a sex worker, but it’s unclear whether she was trafficked like the other girls or if she was driven to Happiness House by different means. After noticing Shilpa’s frequent drinking, Lakshmi learns from Shahanna that Shilpa’s mother was also a sex worker who fed baby Shilpa liquor to keep her compliant and quiet while she was with men. Tragically, Shilpa is extremely loyal to Mumtaz, which means she perpetuates the same system responsible for her mother’s (and her own) subjugation. When she’s drunk, Shilpa becomes especially mean, and in one such moment, she reveals to Lakshmi—seemingly in a bid to hurt her—that Mumtaz has cheated all the girls at Happiness House, and their families will never see one rupee of their earnings. In an ironic twist, it is this revelation that becomes the catalyst for Lakshmi to plan her escape.
Shilpa/“The Aging Bird Girl” Quotes in Sold
The Sold quotes below are all either spoken by Shilpa/“The Aging Bird Girl” or refer to Shilpa/“The Aging Bird Girl”. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Pages 74-116 Quotes
I think of the aging bird girl and wonder why she is so skinny
if she eats sweet cakes and dates and oranges and mangoes
every day.
I think of the woman with the rolls of roti dough at her waist
and wonder why she lives in this darkened cave building if
she is so rich.
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Pages 231-263 Quotes
“Bimla may have given your family a little sum when you
left home,” she says. “But the rest—the money from the
customers—goes to Mumtaz. Your family will never see
one rupee more.”
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Shilpa/“The Aging Bird Girl” Character Timeline in Sold
The timeline below shows where the character Shilpa/“The Aging Bird Girl” appears in Sold. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Pages 117-155
...also pretend to be 12 years old, or Mumtaz will beat her. Pushpa warns that Shilpa—the thin woman working for Mumtaz whom Lakshmi compares to an aging bird—is a spy. They...
(full context)
Pages 156-194
...at a festival. Shahanna explains to Lakshmi that Mumtaz occasionally lets girls like Monica and Shilpa go to the movies, trusting they won’t try to escape. Monica has a baby at...
(full context)
Shilpa’s Secret. When Lakshmi sees Shilpa purchase a bottle of liquor and quickly down half of...
(full context)
Pages 195-230
A Small Danger. To keep Mumtaz and Shilpa from finding the first American’s card, Lakshmi hides it beneath a floor mat, hoping to...
(full context)
No Remedy. As Lakshmi tries to return Monica’s doll, Shilpa informs her that Monica is gone, now living on the street. When Lakshmi argues, insisting...
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Aftermath. Anita suggests it was the Americans who were responsible for the raid, while Shilpa argues it was probably the police, who have been known to steal one of Mumtaz’s...
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A Warning. When Lakshmi attempts to claim a customer for herself, Shilpa pushes her aside, leading the man—a regular—into her own room. After he leaves, Shilpa warns...
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Pages 231-263
Passing the Time. Lakshmi begins to understand why Shilpa drinks all day, and the next time the street vendor boy visits Happiness House, Lakshmi...
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...she has been cheated that she still does not know about. Her thoughts turn to Shilpa, who, as Mumtaz’s trusted “spy,” likely knows things about Mumtaz’s operations that the other girls...
(full context)
Revelation. When Lakshmi approaches Mumtaz’s office to request a loan of 40 rupees, she encounters Shilpa there instead. Shilpa laughs at her, ultimately revealing that Mumtaz has never sent one rupee...
(full context)
A Kind of Sickness. Reeling from the information Shilpa has revealed, Lakshmi spends three days in bed. After, she gets up and paints her...
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...the boy, secretly slipping him the first American’s card and whispering in his ear. Meanwhile, Shilpa and the other girls laugh, misinterpreting her gesture as a harmless crush.
(full context)
