As Parwati emptied her glass of water, the heavy silence of the palace dungeons enveloped her, accentuating the weight of her captivity. With each passing moment, the reality of spending a third consecutive night confined to these dim, stone walls sank deeper into her consciousness. She could only wonder about the well-being of Titli and her fellow companions, and hope that they were faring better in this unfamiliar territory.

Minutes stretched into an eternity as Parwati waited, the silence of the dungeon broken only by the echo of her own restless thoughts. With each passing moment, her anxiety grew, her gaze flickering to the entrance where Gaurav, the usual guard, was conspicuously absent from his duty post. As the minutes turned to what felt like hours, Parwati frantically paced inside her cell, worry gnawing at her as she considered the possible dangers that could have befallen Gaurav.