
Lanterns ringed the garden pool while British officers and their families praised the splendour of your entertainment at Bithoor. You have outdone yourself, Rajah; even the two bands seem determined to defeat one another by courtesy. You step into this one-chapter preview with Khoosheal at the center, where choices turn on the people, promises, and pressure already in the room. The silver bell remained untouched while the first chapter ended before any new command was given. The chapter closes on a continuation question rather than resolving the novel's larger arc.
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