When she placed the steaming packet before him, the scent alone made Arjun look up.
The air in Kadakkal was thick with the scent of damp earth and blooming jasmine. Inside their small, brightly painted home, Meena moved with a rhythmic grace, her bangles clinking as she ground fresh coconut and chilies on the traditional stone.
"Turn your head to the left, Eli," Silvia said. She didn't look up from the bust she was molding. Her hands, strong and veined, smoothed the wet clay over a wire armature.
