Chapter 1: A Life Ensnared

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 17:50:43 +0000

The Mumbai skyline sparkled against the twilight sky, a thousand glimmering lights reflected in the dark waters of the Arabian Sea. The city was alive with its usual chaos: the hum of traffic, the distant sound of street vendors calling out their wares, and the laughter of friends meeting at roadside stalls. Amid this cacophony of life, Aanya Mehta hurried down the narrow lane leading to her small apartment, clutching her sketchpad tightly to her chest. Her world was far removed from the glittering high-rises of South Mumbai—she was a girl of modest means, with dreams bigger than the confines of her simple life.