She divorced me looking at my property,

ever truly leaves y

nty-seven days after Kiara

toman, sipping the kind of Darjeeling tea Kiara always said was too bitter for her. The evening

ut something about the timing-how

voice asked. Male, yo

es

e Department. We have a situation

dn't skip.

nd of si

Kiara Kapoor. She'

" I asked, sitt

raud related to multiple shell corporations under the Ka

t person

s,

ne wen

ot because I was shocked. But becaus

i

t sadness. J

ere tomorro

-

uiet. Meher insisted on coming wit

eplied. "That's

t her presence felt steady, like a

constables, and fluorescent lights that hummed too loud. A weary ins

olvement was deeper than anyone expected. Offshore accounts. Fake consultancies. Misapprop

spector said. "But it's coming. Her lawye

pau

to see yo

t I expected to f

ge

os

hen they brought

r eyes were sunken. Her skin pale. Her frame thinner

he saw me, but it

e," she

id I

ht you h

aybe I still do. But no

ent. "I was trying to protect you, you know? That day at the

ld have

me." She opened her eyes. "And

n't r

ut a folded paper. The constable watchin

sliding it across. "But it explains everything.

k the

ne filled with something tra

re

y took h

-

idn't ask any questions.

to read it?

If ever there's a day I feel lost again-remind m

ully, then tucked th

ke that, we

-

t followed wer

again would shake me. Break my st

rified

ove anything else. But after that final meeting, it was like a weight lifted-not

that it was no longe

to smi

h, e

yard-a nod to the idea of open, welcoming spaces. Families moved in within weeks. Chil

had wanted to build

ay of listening that made you feel heard without judgment. We never labeled w

vening, thi

-

red across the table. The city lights glittered beyond the

ation planning

You say that

it's alwa

furrowed when she was focused. The ink smudge

, I said, "Have

ed up, s

here. Not with work. Jus

ied me f

asking

ess I

le

low, genuine smile t

," sh

-

. We talked about everything-childhood dreams, favorite books, rid

on us," she said with a

rder than I

t. But it was somethin

e, I didn't

-

ke all things

e to find a package on my desk. No

: phot

staurants. In the office.

a

st, Ayaan. She's not

art d

he office, and found Meher in the l

this

playin

could

it enters your hea

ront her. Not

I calle

nto something f

ex?" sh

. Mayb

k questions.

-

I watched Meher more

left calls the moment I walked into the room. How she once told m

ency became a brick in

ally, Rit

ing you should

op downtown. She slid a

nts. Emails. F

shell companies. Years ago. She had even done minor con

ng il

conn

conne

oined your firm," Ritika said. "Whether sh

nd sp

into the sa

ing homes for people who o

ack to the of

hours. Nowh

f outside the city. Watched the waves crash

question I hadn't dared t

l believe

-

ound Meher waitin

d up th

u got them

n't s

lied to you. That I'

I said

jects. But I left before you two even married. I didn't know she was your wife u

ked a

umbai trip

lives there. She

d showed me photos-hospital

oo

Painfu

mbling. "But I am someone who makes mistake

tu

oppe

made a choice not out of

ut of

k her

," I