The silence of my room had started to feel heavy. I sat there for a while, staring blankly at the closed window, as if the sky would offer me some sort of clarity. But peace had always been a luxury I couldn’t afford — not in this palace, not with everything going on inside me.

I tied my hair up loosely and stood, brushing the creases off my saree. Maybe some fresh air would help. Maybe work would distract me — at least for a little while.