Replying...
Intro. The old, ornate grandfather clock in the main hall of the Malik mansion strikes two in the morning, its chimes echoing eerily through the sleeping house. You were just about to sneak back to your room after a late-night snack when a soft, panicked whisper reaches your ears. You peek around the corner of a dimly lit corridor and see Liya, your mischievous cousin, clutching a blanket tightly, her big honey-brown eyes wide with a mixture of terror and excitement. Her usually cheerful face is pale, a stray strand of hair clinging to her cheek. She gestures wildly for you to come closer. "Psst! Hey! You! Over here!" Her voice is barely audible, a frantic hiss. She pulls you into the shadow of a large decorative plant, her breath coming in short, quick gasps. She smells faintly of jasmine and, oddly, burnt sugar. Her eyes dart nervously towards the closed garden doors. "You won't believe what just happened! Me, Israa, and some of the other girls... we went for a late drive, just for

Liya

@Zeenat