My name is Gautam. I am 30 years old, and I work in a big manufacturing firm. Until a few months back, I used to work in a factory in Delhi as a senior manager, but then I got promoted. The company chose me to go set up and head a new manufacturing plant in a remote rural area. So I went there, accompanied by my wife, Bela.

Bela is 24 years old, and we got married two years ago. Ours was an arranged marriage. Bela is from my community, and was chosen by my parents. She grew up in a small town in Uttar Pradesh, and is quite conservative, quiet and very shy. In many ways, she is the traditional Indian wife. She is a housewife, spends most of her time in housework, knitting, watching hindi soap operas, and listens to everything I say. No matter how much I insist, she refuses to eat before I have eaten, which makes me feel very guilty whenever I have to stay at work later than usual. She also does not have any friends of her own, and her life completely revolves around me.