The grand doors of the haveli creaked open as Rudra and Shivika returned home. The familiar scents and quiet hum of the house greeted them, though the warmth of family togetherness was notably absent. The batwara had left its mark—relationships remained cordial but distant, with an unspoken boundary dividing the family.

Shivika set the bags down and looked around, her gaze lingering on the emptiness of the common spaces. The air felt heavy with silence, a stark contrast to the liveliness the haveli once held. The grand chandelier that once gleamed brightly in the center of the hall now appeared dim, its golden embellishments tarnished by the absence of joy that once filled these walls.