This piece was published in 100 Word Story.
My name is Sara, I say. I’m from India. Never met an Indian with that name, they say. Is it short for something? No, that’s my first name. I say. It’s from the Quran. No way! It’s a Biblical name, they say. Are there Muslims in India? Yes, 200 million, I say. We thought every Indian was Hindi, they say. A majority are Hin-du, but there are Muslims, Christians, and others, too, I say. Hin-di is a language, my mother tongue. How’s your English this good? they say. We were a British colony, I say. As were we, they say.