Rithanya's fall

Three months had passed since the classes had begun at the school. The girls had gradually acclimated to the regimented life they led within the school's walls. Their Sunday afternoons became their sanctuary amidst the mechanical routines of the week. Those precious hours of extra sleep on Sunday mornings were their lifeline, revitalizing them for the forthcoming six and a half days of relentless work. In this institution, there were no holidays for national events, regional festivals, or religious celebrations.

Mid-September had arrived, and the vibrancy of Dussehra celebrations swept across India. In North India, the rhythmic beats of the dandiya dance and the grandeur of Durga Puja captivated the hearts of the people for ten days. Central India was preparing for the dramatic immolation of the ten-headed, hundred-armed effigy of Ravana on the festival's final day. Meanwhile, in the southern regions, devotion reigned as people worshipped the Golu doll exhibits during the nin