The days passed slowly in the quiet house. With Dev gone, the atmosphere had softened, no longer filled with the tension and fear that once clung to every corner. Instead, there was an odd sense of peace—fragile, but real. In this new calm, Shrika found herself growing closer to Parvati, a relationship she hadn’t anticipated but one that, in some ways, eased the weight of her guilt.

Parvati, who had once seemed distant in the background of Shrika’s troubled marriage, had become a constant presence in her life. She hovered, not out of control or authority, but with a gentle, nurturing care that made Shrika feel something she hadn’t felt in years—safe.