The 'holy man' was surprised because he had assumed that Santosh's mother wanted a son. However, the unborn child's grandmother told him that they did not want a son.
2. Santosh began living life on her own terms from the start. Where other girls wore traditional Indian dresses, Santosh preferred shorts.
3. Even though Santosh's parents could afford to send their children to the best schools, she was sent to the local village school due to the prevailing custom in the family.
4. When she turned sixteen and was under pressure to get married, Santosh threatened her parents that she would never marry if she did not get a proper education. Therefore, she left home and got herself enrolled in a school in Delhi.
5. When Santosh's parents refused to pay for her education, she politely informed them of her plans to earn money by working part time to pay her school fees. Then, her parents agreed to pay for her schooling in Delhi. This shows that Santosh was a mentally-strong girl and was ready to work very hard to get herself properly educated.