Acknowledgments

To every reader who turned these pages and felt something �" thank you for listening.

To the girls and women whose strength lit the spine of this story: Meera, Kiara, and Sanya may be fictional, but they are stitched together from truths I’ve seen, read, and heard in whispers that echoed louder than screams. This is your courage, in print.

To those fighting from the shadows �" journalists, activists, therapists, teachers �" you are the real architects of justice. Keep building.

To my own Aarav �" whoever you may be in the world �" I hope you're healing.

To my critics: if this story made you uncomfortable, good. If it made you care, even better. And if it made you write about it �" you helped me keep the thread alive.

And finally, to you �" the reader holding this book �" thank you for joining me in the noise, for not looking away, and for carrying these voices forward.

May we never forget the weight of stories untold.

With all my heart,
Neha Agrawal