After a long silence, Rao spoke into the dimness.Rao: “Naveen’s coming tomorrow. Desiporn Bindu eventually slipped away to her room, books already open on her bed.Rao suggested an outing and took Naveen and Chinnu out for a casual lunch at their old mess hall. Inside, he could hear the rush of water. Naveen stood frozen. Naveen could tell. She froze. A quiet smile teased her lips.Then, without warning, she turned. Her body tensed, but she didn’t pull away. She forced her gaze upward and quickly pointed toward the bathroom, her voice caught in her throat.Bindu: “There, at the end of the hall.”Without waiting, she turned and walked straight back to the kitchen, heart racing.Naveen approached the bathroom door, still silent. His fingers curled into the bedsheet.Mamata stared into the dark, eyes wide.
