Chapter 1: The Evening that changed everything

Wed, 28 May 2025 18:25:10 +0000

The evening was suffocatingly humid, the kind of Delhi heat that clung to your skin like a second layer, unrelenting even as the sun dipped below the horizon. Inside the Sharma household, a modest two-story flat in the bustling heart of Lajpat Nagar, the air was thick with something far heavier than the weather-dread. Vritika Sharma stood in the living room, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her hazel eyes blazing with a defiance that could ignite a forest fire. At twenty-four, she was a storm personified-a rising star at The Indian Herald, one of the country's most prestigious media houses. Her name was whispered in newsrooms with awe, her fearless exposés and razor-sharp intellect carving a legacy few could rival. Her dark hair, a cascade of untamed waves, framed her face like a warrior's banner, and her presence demanded attention without her ever asking for it.