The air in the house felt heavier than usual. The night had passed with an unsettling silence, and by morning, something had changed.

In her grandmother’s dimly lit room, Aakifah stood quietly, her hands clasped together as she faced her father, grandmother, Razia Pupho, and her uncle. She hadn’t been told why she was summoned, but the look on her father’s face was enough to tell her that something important was about to be discussed.