The single silver earring, tarnished but unmistakably masculine, lay nestled in the damp earth, a silent testament. Aradhya picked it up, her fingers trembling as they traced its cool, worn surface. It was a simple hoop, yet its weight in her palm felt immense. A wave of both profound connection and chilling dread washed over her. Yeh… yeh toh Papa ka hai, she thought, her voice caught in her throat.

Avni turned off the car. The sudden silence was punctuated only by the distant calls of nocturnal birds and the rustle of leaves in the unseen breeze. She saw the earring in Aradhya’s hand, then glanced at the barely visible path swallowed by the gnarled oak. Her expression hardened. "Vikram was here," she stated, her voice low, a ripple of unease in its depths. "Recently."