The flight back from Delhi was uneventful but Aanya’s heart beat louder with every mile closing between the sky and the city she had left behind. The city that, for months, had felt like a cage. And now? Now it felt like the opening to something she hadn’t known she wanted.

Her cab pulled up to the apartment just after sunset. Warm light poured through the balcony, curtains drawn slightly to the side. The door opened before she could ring the bell.