▁social ▁st igma ▁of ▁a ▁married ▁woman ▁living ▁with ▁her ▁parents , ▁her ▁ste pm other ’ s ▁contin ual ▁bar bs ▁and ▁the ▁ost rac ism ▁that ▁accompan ies ▁her ▁skin ▁condition . ▁She ▁is ▁also ▁abandoned ▁by ▁An and ▁who ▁remains ▁m ute ▁to ▁her ▁dist ress ▁letters . ▁An and ▁married ▁her ▁only ▁for ▁the ▁sake ▁of ▁her ▁beauty , ▁and ▁once ▁it ▁f aded ▁An up ama ▁meant ▁nothing ▁to ▁him . ▁Sh am anna ▁gets ▁a ▁transfer ▁and ▁the ▁family ▁moves ▁to ▁another ▁village . ▁Three ▁years ▁el ap se ▁and ▁An up ama ’ s ▁condition ▁is ▁no ▁better . ▁As ▁a ▁last ▁resort , ▁she ▁vis its ▁the ▁village ▁temple ▁of ▁which ▁the ▁god dess ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁ful fill ▁all ▁the ▁des ires ▁of ▁her ▁dev ote es . ▁On ▁the ▁way ▁she ▁over he ars ▁two ▁women ▁talking ▁about ▁the ▁marriage ▁of ▁Gi ri ja ▁and ▁the ▁search ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁wife ▁for ▁An and . ▁Thus ▁she ▁cont em plates ▁suic ide ▁but ▁becomes ▁determined ▁to ▁re build ▁her ▁life ▁against ▁all ▁odd s . ▁She ▁dec ides ▁to ▁leave ▁for ▁Bomb ay ▁where ▁she ▁is ▁invited ▁by ▁her ▁best ▁friend ▁Sum ith ra . ▁There ▁Sum ith ra ’ s ▁husband , ▁H ari ▁arr anges ▁a ▁cler ical ▁job ▁for ▁An up ama , ▁and ▁she ▁begins ▁to ▁be ▁independent ▁and ▁happy , ▁also ▁because ▁Bomb ay ▁does ▁not ▁rem ind ▁her ▁of ▁Le uk oder ma . ▁But ▁life ’