The first rays of dawn crept into the room, painting the scene in hues of soft gold and pale blue. Shashwat stirred, his eyes heavy with sleep, his body still entangled with Rani's. He looked down at her, her face pale and bruised, her body bearing the marks of his brutality. A flicker of something - perhaps guilt, perhaps remorse - crossed his face, but it was quickly replaced by a familiar wave of possessiveness.