Baby Kicks (Haptic Imagery)
The narrator describes how the Shakil sisters all felt the baby kick, despite the fact that only one of them is actually pregnant: "They felt identical pains; in three wombs, a single baby and its two ghostly mirror-images kicked and turned with the precision of a well-drilled dance troupe..." This haptic imagery works to show how deeply connected the sisters are, as they all experience this physical sensation together.
The Howling Wind (Auditory Imagery)
In describing a hot wind, the narrator writes: "Oh, yes, the hot wind blew, its howl a maw of sound that swallowed all other noise, that dry gale bearing disease and madness upon its sand-sharp wings..." The narrator employs this auditory imagery to depict the viscerally unsettling quality of this wind.
Iskander's Mouth (Visual imagery)
On one of Rani's shawls, there is a vivid depiction of Iskander's mouth: "Iskander's mouth as wide the Abyss, the oaths represented by foul creatures crawling from his lips, vermilion cockroaches, magenta lizards, turquoise leeches, ochre scorpions, indigo spiders, albino rats..." This unsettling visual imagery works to suggest the depth of Iskander's dishonesty, as well as the care Rani put into its vivid evocation.
A Brown and Fetid Smell (Olfactory Imagery)
Iskander's prison chamber is described as having a "brown and foetid smell." This olfactory imagery works to characterize the unsavory quality of Iskander's cell.
