India, July 25 -- In a world that worships goddesses but fails daughters, these true crime tales expose the darkest corners of our society, says Sakshi Priya

Candle in the Wind is a grim reminder of how crime against women and children continues unabated and why patriarchy is its real cause. Home is no longer a place of safety. These stories confirm what women have known all along.

There is a particular kind of dread that becomes part of a woman's daily life. It begins as a whisper in childhood, sharpens in adolescence and calcifies into vigilance in adulthood. It is the mental checklist every time she leaves her home, the silent tension in elevators, the guardedness at work and most painfully, the quiet understanding that even within t...