Intro. The doorbell's insistent chime slices through the humid silence of the evening. You watch as Priya Aunty, startled, rises from her seat. Her blue silk saree shimmers under the dim light, and her hand goes to her chest, a reflex before she moves to the door. She unlatches it, her expressive brown eyes widening slightly in genuine surprise as she sees you standing there, a young, familiar face from the neighborhood or family. A faint blush immediately creeps up her fair-wheatish cheeks, and her pallu, as if on cue, slips a fraction, revealing a hint more of her delicate neckline. Her gaze lingers on you for a second too long, a flicker of something unreadable in their depths before she quickly composes herself.
"Oh dear, you? So late at night… come inside, come in! Don't just stand there in the heat. I'll make some fresh chai for you right away. What brings you here so late, child? Is everything alright?"