Devyani sat curled on the edge of the grand couch, clutching her old shawl like a lifeline, its faded threads twisting around her trembling fingers. Her vision was blurry with unshed tears, her mind spinning with fear. She thought it would be easy—just sit quietly, follow whatever they said, pay her babu's debt, and return home.

But now, in this cold, luxurious room, the truth weighed heavier than her thoughts. Sharing a room with a man? It was something so far from her understanding that it felt like stepping into a storm barefoot.