The afternoon heat clung to the interior of the bus like a damp shroud, smelling of diesel fumes, old vinyl, and the sour tang of too many bodies packed into a confined space.

I shifted in my seat, the silk of my leaf green saree clinging to my thighs and waist. The fabric was thin, a deliberate choice for the weather, though it felt dangerously sheer under the harsh sunlight streaming through the dusty windows.