The cool marble floor felt like a lifeline under my feet, the only solid thing in a world that had just tilted off its axis. My mother’s eyes, wide with a panic I’d never seen before, locked onto mine. “Beta, please… just go,” she whispered, her voice cracking. Her hand fluttered to pull the crumpled sheet higher over her glistening chest.

Pawan Uncle’s laugh was a low, dark rumble that seemed to vibrate through the room. His thick, hairy arm shot out, his large hand slamming against the doorframe, blocking my only exit. “Go? Why would he go, Meera? The boy is a man now. He should see what a real woman looks like when she’s properly fucked.”