Introduction

A Note on the World

In the India of this story, the ancient whispers of polyamory have been woven into the fabric of modern law. The Marriage Act recognizes that love is not always a straight line between two points; sometimes it is a constellation. Polygamy is legal--up to four spouses allowed for any individual, with gay/ lesbian marriages equally valid and sacrosanct under the same statutes.

The total limit for any marriage, however, is five persons, irrespective of gender: all spouses, bound to one another. This is the crucial, often misunderstood detail. A polygamous marriage is not a harem with a single hub and many spokes. It is a circle where every member is legally wed to every other member. If a man marries three women, those women are also married to each other. The law does not recognise a marriage where the bonds flow in one direction only; the union must be a complete web of mutual consent. When a new spouse enters, every existing spouse must consent--not merely acquiesce, but actively welcome the newcomer into their own spousal bond. The newcomer, in turn, must consent to marry each of them. This high threshold of mutual desire and agreement makes multi-person marriages exceptionally rare.