Ritu Malhotra 1 Ragini had always believed in the serenity that small towns offered, a break from the noisy chaos of urban life. It was why she had chosen to leave behind the busy streets of Bangalore and take up a job as a journalist in Malgudi, a town that seemed to exist in the pages of an old book—quiet, picturesque, and steeped in history. The assignment was simple: write a piece on the town’s rich cultural heritage. But for Ragini, it was more than just a job. It was an escape. After a turbulent breakup, a series of failed…