Chapter 4 — Ghosts of the Past

Abeer

The soft chime of a grandfather clock echoed through the dimly lit study, its rhythm a soothing contrast to the chaos brewing inside Abeer’s mind. The room smelled faintly of aged wood and the lingering warmth of sandalwood incense, remnants of a family ritual conducted earlier in the evening to ward off misfortune. Yet, the heaviness in the air suggested that no sacred flame could cleanse the growing darkness that surrounded the Chauhan family.