The sun had begun to sink behind the low hills, painting the sky in deep orange and purple. A warm wind moved across the open terrace of the Thakur haveli. Clothes lines stretched from one end to the other, heavy with washed sarees, kurtas and sheets that Gauri had been hanging since late afternoon.

She stood completely naked among the fluttering cloth. Her soft body was still marked from the previous nights. The evening breeze touched her bare breasts, her stomach, the soft triangle between her legs. She reached up to pin a wet sheet, arms raised, heavy breasts lifting with the movement. Her long black hair was tied loosely and kept falling across one shoulder.