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As Lancet, the medical journal, puts India face to face with the shocking reality of over 10 million female foeticides in the past 20 years, the phenomenon finds a candid reflection in the sex ratio of Haryana, one of India's richest states.

The state today ranks at the bottom of the ladder in terms of sex ratio, with only four other states faring worse. There are far fewer women in Haryana than men and this has led to a scarcity of suitable brides.

Naseema, bought for Rs 3,000 from Bengal, went against 'tradition', refusing to abort her female children.

When the CNN-IBN team landed up in Mewat, it came across numerous instances where brides are being bought in from other states.

"I'm a poor man. I could not find a girl here. The man from Marab got me a girl for Rs 3,000," says Kallu Khan, a villager.

There are many such belts in Haryana where the men have bought brides off poor parents from different parts of the country. In these marriages, only the boundaries of religion are not transgressed, while those of caste and language blur invariably. Baghola village, for instance, has brides being brought in from Assam, Bengal and Hyderabad.

"Bengal is my homeland. My luck brought me here. I got married here. I am tied to this man... what can I do now?" asks Naseema, Kallu Khan's wife.

"I miss my village deeply. It's been ages since I've been there," she adds. Even the language barrier is not a hurdle. "Initially, we used to communicate through gestures. She used to speak Bengali, which I did not understand," says Kallu.

Women like Naseema, who have been sold into marriage, are treated as outcastes by the community.

"Some people even called me mad. They abused me and beat me up," Naseema recalls.

Yet, Kallu and Naseema's story shatters some dominant ideas about Haryana. In a land infamous for killing its girls, they are nurturing their five daughters. In fact, in this poor, Muslim-dominated region of Haryana, there are many villages which have more than 900 girls per 1000 boys.

Baghola is a case in point. Being poor in material terms does not mean the people are poor in ideals too.

"I don't want a son. Girls are fine for me," says Naseema. "There is no difference between boys and girls. Parents are the givers. But they can give only when they have."

"To me, my girls are my boys," admits Kallu Khan.

Kallu and Naseema earn anything between Rs 200 to 500 a month. They have five daughters. They never thought of aborting one or starving any one to death. And they are not waiting for a son.