Giri paced his bedroom. The plush carpet did little to calm his racing mind. Rajesh and Mira. Mira and Rajesh. The names echoed in his head. Each one brought a fresh wave of unease.

What began as a casual interest, a fleeting desire for the beautiful young woman his son brought home, had twisted into something far more powerful. He admitted it now, to the quiet of his room: he was hooked on her. The very thought of Mira—her laugh, the way her eyes sparkled—sent a shiver through him.