Author's pov:

Anjali’s breath had been uneven from the moment they left the house, but inside the enclosed space of the car it felt far worse. Her heartbeat throbbed painfully at the base of her throat, heavy enough that she could hear the blood rushing in her ears louder than Arshad’s irritated sighs. She tried to ignore it—tried to inhale deeply the way she usually did when panic began building in her chest—but nothing helped. Her palms grew colder, her fingers trembling slightly as she pressed them against her lap.