The walls of that hotel suite had witnessed the breaking of every boundary and the legal birth of a new, forbidden relationship. Riya was no longer merely the centre of Vikram’s lust — she had become his wife. But while one side celebrated the union, inside the closed rooms of the mansion an old serpent was waiting with its hood raised.

By the time Vikram and Riya reached the mansion, the third quarter of the night had begun. There was exhaustion on Riya’s face, but her eyes held the shine of a victorious woman. The moment they stepped into the living room, the silence felt poisonous. Shalini was sitting on the sofa, a glass of whiskey in her hand, her eyes blood-red.