act the attention of all the villagers, who assemble, eager to hear the good news. But when the midwife announces that the child is a daughter, the banging stops, followed by a stunned silence. Shortly thereafter the father takes the baby and drowns it in a Calderon of milk. This practice continues on and as a result, many years later there are men and boys everywhere and no women. A widowed man, Ramsharan, ponders his plight and that of his two grown son, who he is unable to get married. No marriage has taken in this village for 15 years, save for one, which was annulled as the young 14-year old bride turned out to be a 14 year old boy. But there is hope when a friend informs Ramsharan that he has located a bride for his eldest, a beautiful young woman named Kalki, who lives nearby, sheltered by her father. Ramsharan pays a substantial dowry for Kalki and gets her married to his eldest - or so he hopes - for every male in the village, including his younger son, Sooraj, and he himself wants a piece of Kalki - for himself - and are willing to do anything to satiate their non-existent sex-life.
Tags :
dysfunctional marriage |
murder |
priest |
shotgun |
pregnancy |
jealousy |
rural setting
