The beginning of the story's action takes place in the British Raj, in the year 1898. A young woman named Maryam is to be married off to a wealthy man much older than her, named Kabir. Not wanting this, she decides to flee her home at night and begins to hide in anxiety and fear on the streets from the family looking for her. The girl fears for her life and accusations of dishonor. A few days later, she is found by a young man named Oliver Griffiths-he is an Englishman who has come to British Raj to claim property from his deceased father who owned a mansion here. After hearing her story, he decides to take her back to Britain with him. He realizes, however, that this carries certain risks, due to the racial prejudice of some of his family.
