Introduction

One sultry night, a young bride overhears an extraordinary conversation. The voices speak of a plot to murder a wife who has failed to produce a child and whose family has failed to produce the promised dowry...

Megha is sick with horror when she realizes she is the intended victim. Her husband--the very man who tied the sacred necklace of marriage around her neck--and his mother are plotting to kill her! In the moment of panic, she runs for her life. Frantically racing through Palgaum's deserted streets, her way lit only by the lights strung up for the Diwali festival, her single goal is to escape death by fire. But fleeing from her would-be killers seems impossible--unless she can find someone to help her...

To approach her best friend would bring scandal to an innocent woman's doorstep, and turning to her own strict, conservative family is out of the question. Instead, with nothing but the sari she wears and a memory of kindness, Megha finds her way to Kiran, the one man who has shown her friendship and respect. Hiding her in his apartment, Kiran becomes her protector. But the forbidden attraction that grows between them can only bring more danger...

Caught between tradition and the truths buried in her heart, a dowry bride will discover the real cost of the only things worth having in life...

"Packed with detail...splendidly depicts passion, brutality, and cultures in conflict." --Dorothy Garlock

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Excerpt

Her parents named her Megha, which means cloud in Sanskrit, perhaps because she cast a gray shadow over their lives at a time when they didn’t expect overcast skies. She was an unexpected, unpleasant surprise—rather late in their lives. Her father was in his forties, her mother in her thirties. When they were desperately hoping it would at least turn out to be a boy after having had two girls, ages thirteen and eleven, she came along—another screaming infant girl—with all the wants and needs and tribulations of a female—all the burdens of a Hindu Brahmin woman.

Her father never recovered from the disappointment. Her mother quietly accepted it as her destiny. Together they began to contemplate how they would ever manage to put aside enough money to pay three varadakhshinas. Dowries.

Some Hindus believe that if you give your child a depressing name, you can keep evil away from it. They often apply a dot of kohl on a baby’s face to mar its perfection, so no one will be tempted to put a hex on a flawed child. Megha was told she was an unusually beautiful baby, bright and full of energy. She often wondered if the name Megha was her spot of kohl, guaranteed to deflect the evil eye. When asked about it, her mother said the only reason they called her Megha was because they happened to like the name.

Then there was the astrologer, a man known for his accuracy, who had cast her janam-patrika. Horoscope. He had apparently predicted a dark, threatening period in Megha’s life, when a large cloud would settle over her head, and Yama, the god of death, would pay her a visit. He wasn’t able to foretell exactly when…but the menace would come, he’d warned.

It would come. It was bound to come—sooner or later.

Chapter 2

At the age of twenty-one, Megha Ramnath was not only married for a year but was about to be executed. In the damp, foggy darkness of the night, she stood outside the woodshed, her brows drawn in puzzlement, the loose end of her plain blue cotton sari tightly drawn around her slim shoulders to ward off the chill creeping up on her. Had she heard correctly, or was her mind playing strange tricks on her?

Standing on her toes she peeped into the shed’s window once again, secretly listening to her would-be murderers whispering, hatching their sinister plan to finish her off.

There was no light anywhere except for the ominous, dull yellow glow coming from the kandeel. Lantern. It barely illuminated the woodpile leaning against the wall in the corner and the two tins of kerosene standing nearby. The concrete floor, reduced to a blotchy gray from decades of sawdust, oil stains and dirt, looked grungier than ever.

Icy fingers seemed to creep down the nape of her neck, vaguely telling her something was not quite right. What was it she sensed? That unexplained electric charge that sent chills up and down her spine? Megha continued to contemplate, trying to make sense out of the conversation going on inside the shed.

Kuppu, the fat old calico cat, sat huddled at her feet, shuddering, sending tremors up Megha’s legs. Was he experiencing the same eerie feeling she was? Cats could sense danger better than humans. The leaves rustled in the nearby guava tree, making her jump. She looked up, afraid to breathe, but realized it was only some night creature stirring—perhaps a bird disturbed by Kuppu’s presence. Just then Kuppu’s back lifted in an arch—a definite sign of fear. And Megha’s breathing turned ragged.

Then it dawned on her. Her large dark eyes turned wide with alarm. She was going to be killed! Realization struck her like a punch in the stomach. Terror soon replaced numbing shock, sending her heartbeat soaring.

Oh, God! Could this really be happening to her? And why? She was an ordinary housewife with a boring life; she had no enemies. She was considered pretty, but it couldn’t possibly be a reason for anyone to kill her. She had no particular talents and posed no threat to anyone. Although her life meant little to anybody but herself, her death would mean even less.

And yet, she was going to be murdered! view abbreviated excerpt only...

Discussion Questions

From the Author:


1. The Dowry Bride has the familiar echo of domestic violence. How different is the danger element surrounding Megha from what American or European women experience and why?

2. Although Megha has sisters, they never appear in the book. So why are they important to the story, and what kind of impact do they have on her life?

3. Megha says to Kiran, “You and I . . . we were born in an orthodox Brahmin caste and culture that is mired in a swamp that goes back a thousand years. The world goes around, but our traditions remain static.” How does the story portray this sentiment and the inherent contradictions of contemporary Indian culture?

4. Despite her trust in Kiran and knowing it’s the safest place to be, Megha is reluctant to stay in his home. Do you think she is justified in feeling that way and why?

5. At one point in the book, Megha almost succeeds in committing suicide. Why does she consider death better than living, especially after discovering the joy of knowing a wonderful man loves her and that she returns his feelings?

6. Amma has been looking for a bright and good-looking wife for her son for a long time, and yet, when she finds the ideal wife, why is she dissatisfied? What part does her own past play in her reaction to Megha and how does this play out through the entire book?

7. Discuss Megha’s father-in-law, Appaji’s role in her life. Despite his quiet ways and his obvious regard for her, how does he exert a strong influence on her?

8. Does the name “Megha” or “Cloud” really live up to its meaning in the story?

9. Do you think the universal themes of “love conquers all” and “good triumphs over evil” are portrayed in this novel? If yes, how and to what degree?

Weblinks

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