Episode 71

The ornate drawing-room of the Malhotra residence hummed with a tension as delicate as the porcelain teacups arranged on the polished mahogany table. Mrs. Malhotra, her usually serene expression etched with a flicker of unease, toyed with the pearls around her neck. Across from her, Natasha, impeccably dressed as always, offered a polite smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. The air was thick with unspoken questions, a residue from the ‘first clue’ that had surfaced a few days prior – a faded silk scarf, embroidered with an unfamiliar emblem, found tucked away in a forgotten corner of Natasha’s childhood room. It was a whisper from the past, and it had grown into a persistent murmur in the halls of the Malhotra mansion.

“Natasha, darling,” Mrs. Malhotra began, her voice a little too bright, “have you given any more thought to… that scarf?”

Natasha’s smile tightened almost imperceptibly. “I’ve searched my memory, Mrs. Malhotra, but it means nothing to me. Perhaps it belonged to a previous tenant of the house?”