Shibam Iyer 1 The train slowed as it entered Alappuzha, the rhythmic clatter of wheels softening into a crawl. Ananya leaned closer to the window, her eyes tracing the sight of endless coconut groves swaying gently in the late afternoon breeze, their reflections shimmering across the sprawling backwaters. The air outside looked different, thicker almost, carrying the sheen of humidity and the fragrance of wet earth that no city could ever imitate. As the train screeched to a halt, she stepped down with a deep breath, as though she were inhaling her own past. The station was small, familiar, yet…
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Nina V. D’Souza Part 1 The letter arrived on a Monday, folded neatly in an ivory envelope sealed with red wax. There was no return address, only Aria Langford’s name written in elegant cursive on the front. She stared at it for a long minute before tearing it open, curious but cautious. The apartment was quiet—too quiet—save for the hum of her old refrigerator and the distant sound of sirens in the city below. As a freelance historian and part-time archivist, Aria was used to strange documents landing in her hands. But this one was different. The letter inside was…