The afternoon sun baked the central courtyard of the haveli, but under the large neem tree, a circle of women sat in the shade. This was the Muh Dikhayi—the ritual where the bride shows her face to the women of her new family. In Chudaipur, it was never just the face.

Riya was led into the circle by Anjali and Pooja. She wore a fresh, flimsy yellow sari, tied so low her hip bones showed. The pallu was draped loosely, leaving her breasts—still tender and marked with the small healing cuts—fully visible. Her hair was oiled and braided with marigolds. She was the picture of a fertile young bride, and the women looked at her with a mixture of appraisal, envy, and crude curiosity.