Raat ke 1 baj rahe the. Devgarh haveli mein sannata chhaya hua tha, sirf corridor mein halki si awaaz thi jab Avani dheere-dheere master bedroom ki taraf badh rahi thi. Usne ek patli si laal satin nightie pehni thi – bahut chhoti. Dil zor-zor se dhadak raha tha, haath thande ho rahe the. Woh jaanti thi ki aaj raat kuch alag hone wala hai.

Darwaza thoda sa khula tha. Andar se sunehra lamp ki roshni nikal rahi thi. Avani ne dheere se andar jhaanka – Rudra bistar par baitha tha, shirt utaar chuka tha, seena paseene se chamak raha tha. Usne usko dekha aur aankhon se hi ishaara kiya – “Aa jaao andar.”