Meghna had been sitting alone in an empty classroom since morning, her eyes brimming with tears. All she could think about was the way Agastya had treated her, as if she were nothing more than his puppet. The thought stung her, leaving her heart heavy. She hadn’t even spoken to Adam all day, keeping her distance—not because she wanted to, but because she feared for his safety.

She wiped at her tears, but they kept returning, unstoppable. A single fear kept echoing in her mind—that her future with Agastya would always be like this. The same control, the same fear, as if she would never be free from the strings he tied around her.