A River Sutra

The old woman begins her story by describing her hometown, Shahbag, 50 years prior. The town was not colonized by the British, and its name means “garden of the emperor” since the Emperor Jehangir admired the flowers in the town. Shahbag overlooks the Narmada, and, though the town is mixed in religion, and the Nawab, or ruler, is Muslim, everyone loves and worships the river. The old woman grew up in a haveli (or mansion) among courtesans like her grandmother and mother; here, she learned the arts of teaching young aristocrats and men of royal birth about beauty and love. These courtesans were well known across India, receiving invitations and gifts from powerful men.

In the present, Shahbag is no longer beautiful, with factories, slums, and deforestation running rampant. However, the old woman raised her daughter as she was raised in the haveli, teaching her about art, music, and love. She did not allow her daughter to perform often, which increased her popularity, leading to an invitation to perform at an election ceremony. Her daughter performs, enthralling the whole crowd. Afterward, they leave through a bazaar. Suddenly, machine gun fire causes the crowd to panic and riot, and the old woman fails to save her daughter from the men attacking the bazaar—she sees one of the men putting a blanket over her daughter’s head as he takes her away.