Shahswat sat in the quiet solitude of his dorm room, the night wrapping around him like a blanket of stillness. It had been almost three weeks since he'd heard her voice, and the days had begun to drag on. Time felt heavier, almost unbearable, without her. The memory of their argument from last Sunday kept gnawing at him, a constant reminder of the unresolved tension between them. He hadn't had the chance to make things right, and even worse, she hadn’t responded to any of his letters. He understood now that it didn’t matter whose fault the fight was—he simply couldn’t stand the silence anymore. Tomorrow was his birthday, and he had already made up his mind. He would call her, no matter what, and they would fix things. He couldn’t imagine another day without hearing her voice.

The following morning, after his usual exercise routine, Shahswat grabbed his phone, his fingers hesitating for just a moment before he dialled his family’s number. They must have been waiting for his call. Kirti, his mother, picked up on the first ring.