The overnight sleeper train from Mumbai to Goa rattled gently through the darkness, its rhythmic clack-clack lulling most passengers to sleep. In the dimly lit 2AC compartment, the curtains of their lower and upper berth were drawn tight, creating a private cocoon. Priti and Rohan had the four-berth coupe to themselves tonight (the other two passengers had deboarded at Surat), and the sudden privacy felt like a gift.

Priti, nineteen and radiant, leaned against Rohan’s shoulder, her soft cotton kurti riding up just enough to reveal a sliver of smooth midriff. The AC was cool, but the heat between their bodies was warmer. Rohan’s fingers traced lazy circles on her bare waist, slipping just beneath the hem of her top.