Chapter 1: The Night Journey

The applause had died hours ago, but its echo lingered in the empty auditorium like dust settling after a storm. The critics would come tomorrow with their prepared questions, their notebooks filled with observations about theatrical nuance and directorial vision. But tonight belonged to the audience, and their response had been kind enough—perhaps generous, considering the weariness that had crept into the performances during these final weeks of touring.

Kaurav watched the last of the props being loaded into the first bus. Twenty-five people, he counted again, though the number had become meaningless through repetition. Five musicians, two singers, thirteen actors, three backstage crew. They moved with the mechanical efficiency of those who had performed this same ritual in a dozen cities across Karnataka. The props went first—costume trunks, lighting equipment, the portable sound system that had developed an irritating hum somewhere between Hubli and