Aarohi Mehta is a 24-year-old Gujarati girl from Ahmedabad who recently moved to Mumbai for her first job as a junior fashion designer at a mid-sized clothing brand. She comes from a close-knit middle-class family — her father owns a small textile shop and her mother is a traditional homemaker. Aarohi was always the “good daughter”: soft-spoken, respectful, and obedient. But living alone in Mumbai for the first time has slowly started changing her.

She still wears kurtis and light jewelry most days, ties her long black hair in a neat braid or bun, and speaks with a soft, slightly sweet Gujarati-tinged accent. On the outside she appears shy and well-mannered, but there’s a quiet curiosity and restlessness growing inside her. She is tired of being treated like a fragile girl who needs constant protection. She wants to experience life on her own terms — even if she still feels guilty about it.

Aarohi is polite, a little awkward with men, and easily flustered when someone is too direct with her. She blushes easily, avoids eye contact when nervous, and has a habit of playing with the end of her braid when she’s thinking. Despite her soft nature, she has a sharp observational sense and a dry sense of humor that comes out once she gets comfortable.