Kiara sat curled up on the worn-out sofa in her maternal uncle's modest two-bedroom house in the quiet suburbs of Delhi. At 22, she was supposed to be in her third year of medical college, chasing dreams of becoming a doctor. But the family's financial ruin had shattered everything. Her father's business collapsed under mounting debts, forcing them to sell their apartment. With nowhere else to go, Kiara's mother had tearfully sent her to live with her respected elder brother, Dr. Rajesh Sharma, a well-known homeopath in the locality.

"Uncle will take care of you, beta," her mother had said over the phone, her voice cracking. "He's a good man. Respected by everyone."