Sheela stirred in her sleep on the thin mattress spread across the living room floor, her cousins and their brothers sprawled around her in the darkness of the family home. It was past midnight, and everyone else had long since drifted off after a long day of family gatherings. The house was quiet except for soft breathing and occasional snores from the other rooms.

Two of her cousins' brothers, Rahul and Vikram, had been watching her all evening. They exchanged glances across the room before quietly rising. Rahul gently shook her shoulder. "Sheela, wake up," he whispered. "Come with us for a minute."