Chapter 19

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 18:05:12 +0000

Piece by piece, she had been unraveling under my victories. The deck of cards sat between us like a loaded weapon, each round stripping away not just her adornments but her composure. Her bangles lay scattered like fallen chains, her earrings glinted against the wood, her anklet was coiled like a small, surrendered snake, and her pallu draped carelessly over my thigh — my trophies. Her saree clung to her now only by stubborn folds and habit, slipping further each time she shifted.