The first light of dawn crept through the latticed windows, spilling golden threads upon the marble floor of my chamber. I had just emerged from the bath, the fragrance of rose water still clinging faintly to my skin, when one of the palace maids approached with a bundle of garments.

She bowed, her movements quiet and practiced, before spreading out a deep pink lehenga upon the carved wooden divan. Its fabric shimmered in the morning light, simple yet regal, and for a fleeting moment, it reminded me of the silks I once wore in my father’s palace.