But with her brother now a soldier in the British Indian Army and refugees fleeing from Malaya, Burma and other eastern countries back to India, Manikoil is no longer the peaceful haven it once was.

And while there is the hope of Independence in the air, Raji is uncertain whether it will come to pass and what it will truly mean for her and her family.

The Songs of Freedom series explores the lives of children across India during the struggle for independence.