One full year had passed since that Pune weekend 365 days of stolen moments, midnight quickies, kitchen counter fucks, car backseat risks, and late-night balcony sessions when Shalini was asleep or away at her mother’s.

Riya never left the house permanently. Officially, she “stayed on to help with the baby” even after Aadya was born. Shalini sweet, trusting, exhausted from motherhood never suspected a thing. She saw Riya as the perfect, devoted younger sister: always ready with a bottle, a lullaby, or a massage for her aching back.