The afternoon sun filtered weakly through the small windows of the haveli kitchen. It was a cold semi winter day and the air inside carried the faint smell of spices and wood smoke from the chulha. Meera stood alone at the cooking counter. Her simple cotton saree was tucked neatly at her waist and her pallu draped modestly over her shoulder. She stirred the dal in the large pot with a wooden ladle her small hands moving carefully. Sweat beaded on her forehead from the heat of the fire despite the chill outside. It had been a few weeks since the wedding and she had slowly learned the daily household routines under the strict watch of her mother in law. Today the older woman had gone to the neighboring village for some work leaving Meera alone in the kitchen to prepare the evening meal.