The muffled sound of Kiran barking orders bled through the cracks of the heavy wooden door, each syllable sharp like the snap of a whip. Kavya pressed her ear against the cool wood, heart thudding so hard she feared it might give her away. Every word her brother spoke sent tremors through her body, a reminder of the leash she’d been kept on for what felt like a lifetime.

"I'm leaving to meet Mom and Dad." I will take more time than usual. I need everything here to be tight and safe," Kiran instructed, his commanding voice brimming with the authority she’d come to fear.