That night, Na'arvi kept the large windows of her bedchamber open to let in the cool breeze. She sat at her vanity table, inspecting herself in the looking glass. The fine layer of nervous perspiration made the dusk of her skin shine like polished bronze. The charcoal kajal made on her big doe eyes wider. But, her midnight black hair looked all kinds of wrong. Her hair bun was askew, no matter how many times she straightened it. She lowered her gaze and her waist seemed to have miraculously increased in girth despite skipping the meal. Worst of all, her heart was brutally pounding in her chest, so hard she could hear in her ears. The soft rattle on the door made her jump.
"Yes." She called out in a small voice.
