Ranvijay sat on the edge of the sofa, his elbows resting on his knees, his hands loosely clasped, yet nothing about him was relaxed. His breathing was heavy, uneven, as if every breath had to be forced through the weight pressing down on his chest. In front of him, Priyanka was crying, her shoulders trembling, her voice breaking between words that refused to come out properly. Balvinder stood a little distance away, his face drawn with tension, while Rekha’s eyes remained moist, her silence louder than anything she could have said.

Behind Ranvijay, Swara stood, one hand lightly pressed against the wall for support. Even standing upright was difficult for her at the moment, her body still weak, her head still aching, but she knew this was not the time to think about herself. Priyanka needed her, and more than that, Ranvijay needed something to hold him back from crossing a line he would never be able to return from.