Prologue

First published in India in 2026 by Tanishq Maini This Audiobook edition was published in October, 2026 Copyright © 2026 by Tanishq Maini The moral right of the author has been asserted. All characters and events in the publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental. All right reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the priornotice/permission in writing of the publisher, nor beotherwise circulated in any form of binding orcover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.