Chapter 8: The Breeding Night

It had been exactly one week since the marriage. The cold semi winter nights had grown sharper but inside the haveli the air felt heavy with expectation. Meera stood in the center of the main bedroom trembling as the older ladies of the house surrounded her. Her mother in law was the strictest among them. The women had bathed Meera carefully with special herbs and oils meant for fertility. They had dressed her in a thin red saree that clung to her voluptuous body. The blouse was flimsy and the saree pallu was kept light so that it could be removed easily.