"And so it is with the blessing of Danteshwari. Those bereft of marriage and who prove worthy are offered a blessing from the mother Danteshwari, in remembrance of service long ago. Ramita's dreams are the mark of Danteshwari. She does not dream alone. Others in the village have also been so blessed." Naija names other women of the village. I recognize a few; Nilaya whose husband abandoned her and their four children and disappeared into the vast population of New Delhi, and Mamata, another widower, her husband killed in military service.

"But, Naija, why me?" I implore her. "I am not Hindu, I am an American and I am married....