Maya’s exhibition opened a month later in a small gallery in Kala Ghoda. The walls were lined with portraits: a young girl in Bangalore getting ready for her first dance performance; an elder in Delhi sharing a meal with her 'family' of choice; and Ananya, staring at the sea.

"Don't look at the camera," Maya instructed softly, adjusting her focus. "Look at the horizon. Think about where you want to be five years from now."

Through the lens of an old Nikon, Maya saw a world that others often ignored. She was a photographer living in the heart of Mumbai, and her latest project, "Prism of the Soul," was dedicated to capturing the lives of the Hijra and transgender community—a community she belonged to, yet one that was often reduced to caricatures or whispers.

As Maya stood at the back of the room, she watched a young person stop in front of Ananya’s portrait. They stayed there for a long time, their hand reaching out as if to touch the frame. Maya realized then that these weren't just photos of a community; they were mirrors, reflecting a truth that had always been there, finally brought into the light.