The 2BHK apartment was a maze of stifling silence and hidden desires. In the other room, Rahul’s parents were fast asleep, their rhythmic snoring muffled by the thin walls. In the master bedroom, their ten-year-old son lay sprawled in the center of the bed, his breathing deep and even.

Priya lay on the edge, her heart thumping against her ribs. She wasn't wearing a bra, and the thin silk of her backless blouse felt dangerously light against her skin. Her saree was draped low, barely clinging to the curve of her hourglass hips, exposing the deep, silver-pierced dip of her navel.