C84 Kiss

The house was too big for silence.

Every sound — the soft sweep of a maid’s footsteps, the low hum of rain gutters, the rustle of garden leaves — echoed longer than it should.

Arun sat at the long dining table, tracing a finger along the rim of his coffee cup.

He’d eaten in this same spot for almost a week now, under ceilings high enough to make him feel small.

It was a strange routine — safe