The air in the bedroom wasn't just heavy; it was combustible. The flickering candlelight cast long, dancing shadows against the heavy teakwood furniture, making the room feel smaller, more intimate, and infinitely more dangerous.

The scent of Riya’s expensive, city perfume... that lingering trace of bergamot and sharp jasmine...still clung to Manish’s clothes, feeling like a physical stain on the air that clashed violently with the faint, natural scent of the incense burning in the corner.