Episode 248

The air in the Obroye study was thick with unspoken questions. Mr. Malhotra, usually a man of placid demeanor, paced the Persian rug, his brow furrowed. Beside him, Mrs. Malhotra wrung her hands, her gaze flitting between her husband and the object of their current consternation: a small, intricately carved wooden bird. It had been found tucked away in a forgotten corner of the attic, amidst a collection of antique toys that Anu had recently rediscovered.

“It’s… unusual,” Mr. Malhotra finally said, his voice a low rumble. “I don’t recall ever seeing anything like it.”

Anu, perched on the edge of a plush armchair, her eyes wide with innocent curiosity, traced the smooth contours of the bird with a fingertip. “It feels… familiar, Papa,” she murmured, a soft lilt to her voice that always soothed her adoptive parents. “Like a memory I can’t quite grasp.”