The journey back from Shimoga was long and quiet. Pradeep’s body still hummed with the memory of Rohini’s taste on his tongue from that stolen 4 AM bathroom session. When they finally reached home in Bangalore, exhaustion claimed them both. For the next two days, there was no sex — only eating, sleeping, and the heavy, unspoken tension that now lived permanently between them.

Pradeep was trying to start his own grocery shop business. He needed money and a trustworthy partner. After getting partial support from his parents and collecting his savings, he still fell short. He knew he had to ask his brother — which meant he had to go through Rohini.