As the months bled into Tara's final year, Raghav's grip, disguised as devotion, tightened imperceptibly. He had perfected the art of the charming, reformed boyfriend. In front of Tara, he was the picture of control: patient, understanding, and seemingly respectful of her space and independence. They carefully navigated the unspoken rule of keeping their relationship quiet from their families, especially Tara's traditional parents, a secrecy that ironically bound Tara even closer to Raghav. He was her secret, her rebellion, her shared clandestine world.

But away from her watchful eyes, Raghav’s carefully constructed facade crumbled. His obsession, no longer a raw, unmanaged urge, had refined itself into something far more insidious. He knew her schedule down to the minute, often appearing "coincidentally" at her favourite coffee shop, or outside her lecture hall, always with a plausible excuse. He had cultivated friendships with her casual acquaintances, turning them into unwitting informants. Every new male friend Tara made was subtly scrutinized, then quietly, gently, sidelined through whispered "concerns" or cleverly engineered situations that made Tara feel slightly uncomfortable or wary of the new person.