Simran pushed open the heavy metal door to the terrace and stepped out into the cooler night air. The farewell party downstairs was still going strong, the bass thumping through the floors, laughter and shouts mixing with the music. She needed a break from all of it. Her heels clicked on the concrete as she walked toward the low parapet wall, the city spread out below in a scatter of yellow and white lights. String lights were strung across the terrace, leftover from some earlier decoration, casting soft yellow pools over the empty space.

She leaned on the wall and took a deep breath. Behind her the door closed with a solid thud. Then the lock clicked.