The road wound through tea plantations and a wildlife sanctuary where homes stood on stilts. “This keeps people safe from elephants,” explained the driver.

She dressed me in one of her own saris, a purple silk creation. Then she gave me a pearl necklace and earrings, gifts by which she wanted me to remember her.

Minutes after our arrival, our hostesses served us a meal of rice and lentils. That’s when I learned I’d be speaking at a women’s conference the next day.