Black Magic

Lakshmi grows up in a quiet valley in India, protected by her father's stories and her mother's work as the village midwife. Dark-skinned, blue-eyed, and curious, she knows little of the world's cruelty until her mother is accused of witchcraft and burned alive.As Lakshmi watches, the flames seem to move as though they obey her mother. One question takes hold: was her mother truly able to command fire, and if so, was that power evil?Driven by this mystery, Lakshmi flees and journeys from Shahjahanabad to Europe and along the Silk Route.She studies illusion, breath, discipline, and fire, constantly reshaping herself in search of the truth.Her journey reveals a timeless pattern: women with knowledge are praised until they are feared, and feared until they are silenced.Through love, exile, and loss, Lakshmi must decide whether magic is real-and whether discovering it was worth the cost.