When she looked at herself in her wedding photographs, Ammu felt the woman that looked back at her was someone else. A foolish jewelled bride. Her silk sunset-coloured sari shot with gold. Rings on every finger. White dots of sandalwood paste over her arched eye-brows. Looking at herself like this, Ammu's soft mouth would twist into a small, bitter smile at the memory - not of the wedding itself so much as the fact that she had permitted herself to be so painstakingly decorated before being led to the gallows. It seemed so absurd. So futile. Like polishing firewood.
Ammu reflects on her wedding photographs and feels alienated from the woman depicted in them. The image shows her adorned in a lavish sunset-coloured sari, with rings on every finger and sandalwood paste marking her eyebrows. This visual representation evokes a bittersweet memory, not of the wedding day but of her own vulnerability and the irony of her elaborate adornments. She sees herself as a foolish bride, painfully aware that these rituals were merely superficial, highlighting the contrast between beauty and her impending reality.
The imagery of being "led to the gallows" conveys a sense of tragic acceptance and criticism of societal expectations. Ammu's feelings of absurdity about her bridal preparations—"like polishing firewood"—emphasize the futility she perceives in conforming to such traditions. The moment captures the tension between tradition and personal identity, showcasing her internal conflict and disenchantment with the role she is expected to play, which leads her to a deeper understanding of her own situation.
