Late into the night, Adhir lay awake in his room, staring at the ceiling, weighed down by thoughts of Saasha. The quiet hum of the night was broken only by the soft ticking of a distant clock, each tick pulling him deeper into his worry.

Adhir, in his mind: “She doesn’t deserve this. She’s only eight… just a little girl, innocent and pure. But this house, with all its tensions, its secrets, it’s no place for a child like her. How can I keep her safe here?”