Parched follows three women as they gradually come to realize how the ancient and thorny vines of patriarchy have mangled their desires and individualities. Rani, married at 13 and widowed shortly after, is about to get her 16-year-old ingrate son married, but financial debts and personal reservations threaten to further bind her to her modest hut and a lifetime of invisibility. Her close friend Lajjo, who is constantly beaten by her alcoholic husband and who has internalized the shame of being ‘barren,’ is, despite her jovial spirit, withering from desensitization. And Bijli, Rani’s childhood friend who is outwardly all electricity as a dancer with a moving troupe, deals with the prospect of being ostracized by men who deem her oomph fading.