The night train rattled along the tracks, the rhythmic clack-clack of the steel wheels providing a steady beat to the heavy, humid air inside the sleeper compartment. Ritu sat on the lower berth, her hourglass figure draped in a sheer, navy-blue chiffon saree that clung to her damp skin. Her husband, Sameer—a man of massive, fair-skinned muscularity—sat beside her, his broad shoulders barely fitting within the narrow space.

Across the aisle, their seven-year-old son was preoccupied, playing a loud game of cards with a group of elderly passengers. Sameer watched the boy for a moment before his gaze snapped back to Ritu. The sight of her braless curves visible through the thin fabric of her saree sent his blood into a terminal frenzy.