Vivaan held out the extra spinning top across the toy stall. The seller blinked, then looked down at his tray and let out a tired breath. “Arrey, you are right,” he said, taking it back carefully. “With this crowd, I might have lost count tonight.”

Then he placed a tiny paper arrow in Vivaan’s hand and smiled for real. Behind them, drums rolled and lanterns swayed overhead. Kiran ruffled Vivaan’s messy hair, and Vivek said, “That is how truth works, beta—one small choice at a time.”