Summary

The novel changes to past tense and third person for Amisha’s sections. As the narrative toggles between the two stories, so does the tense, which will be reflected in this guide.

Amisha danced among ten cows with bells on their necks, her dowry on her wedding day. Her family and her new husband Deepak’s family had gathered to celebrate the marriage. Amisha performed a ceremony with her new husband Deepak, rounding a fire seven times. She cried when she had to leave her family, knowing she might not see them for several years, and that Deepak’s mother, Chara, had effectively become her mother now.

About to make love for the first time, Amisha tried to sublimate her nerves by telling Deepak an original story about a bird. The bird had flown off in a different direction than the others in...