The chapter was free for my 200 followers only .........

The monsoon rains had turned the red clay roads of the village into a slick, glistening mess, the air thick with the scent of wet earth and blooming jasmine. Inside the sprawling haveli of Surpanch Devendra Singh, the flickering oil lamps cast long shadows across the high-ceilinged corridors, their golden glow reflecting off the polished teakwood furniture. The house was quiet except for the rhythmic thak-thak of the ceiling fan and the distant hum of crickets outside.