Sanya Varma One The taxi wound its way through narrow, rain-slicked lanes, past moss-covered compound walls and bougainvillea sagging under the weight of the monsoon. Ishani sat in the back, forehead resting against the cool glass, letting the blurred greens and greys of Goa in the off-season seep into her. The air smelled heavy—wet earth, sea salt, and the faint sourness of overripe mangoes fallen on the roadside. When the driver finally stopped in front of a pale yellow villa, its terracotta roof dripping steadily, she felt an odd mix of relief and trepidation. The villa looked like something out…