Ranvijay lay on his back, Swara resting quietly in his arms, her body curled instinctively closer to him as sleep finally claimed her. The room was dim, wrapped in a soft silence that only deepened the weight of his thoughts. One of his arms was securely around her, holding her as if even in sleep he could not risk the distance, while his other hand rested lightly over her hair, his fingers absentmindedly tracing through the soft strands. His eyes, however, were wide awake, fixed entirely on her face.

He studied her the way he always did, carefully, almost obsessively, noticing every small detail that others would miss. And tonight, like so many nights before, one thing stood out painfully clear. The glow that used to sit naturally on her face had faded. It was not completely gone, but it was not the same either. There was a quiet dullness now, a softness that did not belong to peace but to something unspoken, something held back for too long.