Chapter 2: The Midnight Veil

Chapter II

Beneath the silk veil of a high-society Lahore gathering, Leila crosses the threshold between secret fantasy and forbidden touch.

Chandeliers of cut Belgian crystal cast fractured gold across the marble terrace as Lahore’s oldest families gathered for the autumn charity gala. Dressed in deep plum chiffon embroidered with antique zardozi thread, I kept my poise beside Shehryar while he spoke with the hospital board—yet my gaze drifted toward the shadowed arcade beyond the fountain.

Every movement of the sheer dupatta across my shoulders felt heightened, as though the memory of the previous night’s whispered confession still lingered against my skin. Across the terrace, familiar dark eyes held mine through the haze of cigar smoke and sitar strings, issuing an unspoken invitation toward the upper gallery.

Excuse me for a moment, I murmured to Shehryar, setting my champagne flute on a silver tray and stepping past the velvet drapery into the dimly lit corridor.