Aadhya gasped, sitting up fast in the shadowy bedroom as if pulled from the depths of a drowning wave. Her breath came in short, jagged hitches, her chest heaving under the silk robe. She blinked heavily, her vision blurred by the cold sheen of tears clinging to her lashes.

The room was bathed in the dim, bruised purple hues of late afternoon. Outside, the monsoon raged on, heavy sheets of water hammering relentless fists against the glass walls, throwing jagged reflections of light across the ceiling.